A magnitude 4.8 earthquake has hit New South Wales,

The epicentre was near Muswellbrook in the Upper Hunter Valley, 250 kilometres northwest of Sydney.

The earthquake, initially measured at 5.0, struck just before noon.

Two schools in the Hunter Valley were evacuated, thousands of people were left without power and several buildings suffered broken windows and other minor damage, according to the SES.

More than 2,500 people reported feeling the quake to Geoscience Australia, from as far away as Coffs Harbour, Sydney and Canberra.

According to Geoscience Australia, the epicentre was in Wollemi National Park.

On social media, residents report that their houses are shaking, furniture is moving and windows are rattling.

Beryl Hartin from Muswellbrook was one of them and said she was too scared to move.

“There was a bang and the whole house and the front of the house collapsed, down to the air conditioning,” she said.

“I didn’t feel like moving because I didn’t know what else would fall.

“My legs are still like jelly and I have a neighbor here who is exactly the same.

Tom Alsleven was working at the Royal Hotel in Muswellbrook when the earthquake struck.

“I was just in the bar making some cups of coffee for the kitchen staff when we thought a truck had hit the building,” he said.

“Everyone was very shocked by it, but we went outside to check that everyone was safe… there is not too much damage at the moment.

“We’ve had about two or three phone calls now asking if we’re still open.”

Brooklyn Nicholson lives in an apartment complex in Forster on the Mid North Coast and says the complex was shaking.

“I thought, ‘Am I going to experience an earthquake now?’” she said.

Jenny Furner was at the Gunnedah Conservatory in the Gunnedah Town Hall and was also shocked.

“I thought the whole building was going to collapse around me,” she said.

“It’s an old building, so you could see the cracks in the wall vibrating.

According to Geoscience Australia, thousands of people have reported feeling the tremor.

According to police and NSW Health, there have been no reports of injuries.

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