Wellington, Sept 7 NZPA - Residents of the southern Hawke's Bay town of Porangahau sheltered in doorways this morning as a magnitude 5.2 earthquake sent objects tumbling off shelves.

The 15km-deep quake struck about 20km southeast of the coastal town at 10.48am, GNS Science said.

It was felt widely in the Hawke's Bay, including Hastings and Napier.

People on the social networking site Facebook reported feeling the quake as far afield as Wellington, Manawatu and the Bay of Plenty.

The National Crisis Management Centre said there were no reports of significant damage or injuries.

Hawke's Bay Civil Defence emergency management group coordinator Nigel Simpson said the quake was felt sharply in the small town of Porangahau.

"Residents sheltered in doorways as objects fell off shelves," he said.

The quake was the second in the Hawke's Bay this morning, after a magnitude 3.6 quake struck at a depth of 40km near Waipawa at 10.03am.

"If anyone needs any more reminders to be prepared for an emergency at home and at work, this was it. Earthquakes can strike at any time," Mr Simpson said.

People should at the very least have a battery-powered radio, a torch and some water stored away, he said.

The quakes come just days after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake devastated parts of Canterbury and left hundreds without homes.

"Despite these local earthquakes, our thoughts remain with the residents of Canterbury and the people involved in helping that community recover from the devastation."

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