The Andalusian province of Granada on Tuesday experienced a 4.8-magnitude earthquake following a similarly powerful tremor three days earlier, leading authorities to evacuate the Alhambra and urge the ‘utmost caution’.
The southern Spanish province of Granada, including the city of Granada, registered a new earthquake of magnitude 4.8 this Tuesday August 18th, at 10.37 am.
Its epicentre was northwest of the municipality Gójar, a short drive south from Granada city centre. The magnitude was revised up from 4.6 to 4.8.
The Andalusian regional government has confirmed that three people sustained minor injuries as a result of the quake.
The seismic movement, which occurred at a depth of 5 kilometres, was one of the strongest tremors recorded so far within the series of terremotos (earthquakes in Spanish) that has affected the province since August 14th.
The main quake up to now was the 4.8 magnitude one recorded in the early hours of Saturday August 15th, just as powerful as Tuesday 18th’s.
There were similar scenes on Tuesday on the streets of Granada, with clear damage to building façades, vehicles and public infrastructure.
“It was like a bomb went off, the noise was very loud,” local resident Ángela Ayala told Spanish newspaper 20minutos.
“Everything started to move. You could hear the rocks moving underneath, like thunder, as if the tectonic plates were shifting beneath you. It was really noticeable in the streets.”
🔴 Coches destrozados, toldos caídos y daños en fachadas y mobiliario urbano: un nuevo terremoto de magnitud de 4,7 sacude Granada https://t.co/H005fqBXhz pic.twitter.com/Sj89Q4HQOG
— Europa Press (@europapress) August 18, 2026
According to Spain’s National Geographic Institute (IGN), nearly a hundred aftershocks had been recorded since the initial earthquake on August 14th, although the largest until now had reached a magnitude of 3.3.
This new tremor was felt in parts of other Andalusian provinces such as Almería, Málaga and Córdoba.
Tuesday’s earthquake has had several aftershocks already recorded by IGN, the strongest occurring at 11.35 am, according to provisional calculations, with a magnitude of 4.2 and its epicentre in Alhendín.
Toda Granada en las calles. Imágenes de los daños causados por el último #terremoto en #Granada Calle Poeta César Vallejo. Cedo su uso a medios bajo mención. pic.twitter.com/rMH7hy2A00
— Luz Arcos✨ (@luzarcsan) August 18, 2026
Previously at 10.53 am, another aftershock of magnitude 4 occurred with its epicentre in Churriana de la Vega, which was particularly felt by the population throughout the Granada metropolitan area.
That means that locals in Granada clearly felt three tremors above 4 on the Richter scale in under one hour on Tuesday morning.
Emergency services said they received more than 500 calls reporting cracks, falling debris and other earthquake-related incidents, including a dozen requests for medical assistance, mostly for anxiety attacks.
Other tremors were recorded in Alhendín, Gójar, and Las Gabias, in these cases with magnitudes of 2.7, 2.9, and 2.6 respectively.
El #terremoto de hoy en Granada. 🫣
Impresiona verlo y escucharlo, ¡mucha precaución! pic.twitter.com/mtt9iFgJib
— Ramón López 🏳️🌈🔻 (@RamonLopez_G) August 18, 2026
Andalusia’s First Vice President Antonio Sanz confirmed that the three injuries sustained by people in Granada were minor, but a young girl has been taken to the hospital.
The Andalusian regional government already activated its Emergency Plan for Seismic Risk in Granada, currently at operational level 1, following the 4.8 magnitude earthquake on August 15th, which was centred in the town of Alhendín.
Sanz indicated that Granada’s seismic risk emergency plan will take place “imminently.”
Andalusian regional president Juanma Moreno has asked the public for “utmost caution.”
READ MORE: What to do in the event of an earthquake in Spain
“Experts indicate that seismic activity and aftershocks may continue in the area, and it is important to know how to act in these situations. Let’s follow the advice and remain calm, please,” he stated on his official social media account.
Granada municipal police have urged people not to stay close to buildings because of the risk of falling debris.
Granada’s iconic Alhambra palace and fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been evacuated as a precaution and visits will be suspended for the rest of Tuesday.
Visits to the Nasrid Palaces have also been suspended, although the Partal and Generalife gardens are currently operating normally while specialists assess the impact of the earthquakes.
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