Spain hit by earthquake as buildings shake in over 50 towns in holiday spot loved by Brits

A Spanish holiday hotspot loved by Brits has been rocked by an earthquake as buildings shake in over 50 towns.

It was just after 7am this morning when windows began to rattle and buildings started to shake as the 5.5-magnitude quake hit.

The Axarquía region in southern Spain - home to Malaga city - saw the largest of the tremors, especially in the towns Velez-Malaga and Torre del Mar, the earthquake has been felt by people in hundreds of homes so far.

Granada, Málaga, Jaén, and three eastern provinces - Murcia, Alicante and Albacete all felt large impacts from the blast. The earthquake tremors were also felt in the city of Almeria.

Reportedly the quake was around 6.2 miles deep (10km) and hit approximately 13.2 miles (21.3km) miles from fishing village San José in Andalusia in Almeria. Home to just 175 the fishing port is in the centre of Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata.

The earth movement was registered by Spain's National Geographic (IGN) Institute at 7:13am today.

One tourist in the coastal town of Agua Amarga in Almeria told Spanish newspaper El País said there "was an incredible roar" when the blast hit.

She said: "I was sleeping, and the whole house shook for a few seconds

"There was an incredible roar. It woke up my entire family and the neighbours in the complex."

Tourists and locals in the region rushed to social media to express their shock at the "surprisingly long" quake.

One person living in Almeria said "the whole house shooke" when the blast hit.

"In Roquetas De Mar it was very noticeable and it lasted a few seconds, the whole hotel room was shaking," a holidaymaker wrote on social media.

One man said: "Just felt the tremors of an earthquake off the coast of Almeria. Reports say 5.2 magnitude. It woke me up. Bed shaking and we are 100 kilometres from its centre. Scary."

Several tremors measuring between 1.9 and 3.4 have been felt since in the same area between 7:19am and 8:49am.

A mobile alert was sent to residents in Almería and Granada, warning of the earthquake.

What does the earthquake safety information say:

• Get shoes - even if just going to the next room
• Check gas - if you smell gas, turn off the gas main to the building. If you can't, evacuate.
• Avoid damaged buildings - check for cracks and damage. Evacuate if it looks like the building may collapse.

Have you been affected by the earthquake? Email me: lauran.otoole@reachplc.com