A magnitude 2.2 earthquake has shaken homes across Lincolnshire after striking the seaside town of Grimsby just before 7:50pm on Tuesday evening.

Data from the British Geological Survey confirms the tremor occurred at a depth of around five kilometres beneath the surface. While centred on Grimsby, the shaking was also felt across neighbouring Cleethorpes and the surrounding areas.

Shortly after the tremor struck, startled residents flooded social media with reports of vibrating walls and strange rumbling noises, as reported by the Manchester Evening News.

One local resident described the sudden jolt: "I felt what felt like a really quick shake in my house, I thought something heavy had fallen down upstairs or in the loft."

While earthquakes in the UK often take people by surprise, British Geological Survey data reveals that our ground moves far more often than many realise. In fact, more than 300 earthquakes were recorded across the country last year alone.

The vast majority of these tremors are far too small to cause damage. However, the two largest recorded in the UK last year struck just hours apart near Loch Lyon in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, where a 3.7 magnitude tremor was registered on 20 October, followed by one of 3.6.

The country's most powerful historical earthquakes date back much further. A notable tremor hit the southwest on 11 September 1275, leaving behind what is reportedly the only contemporary report of earthquake fatalities before 1580.

Reports from that 1275 event recorded that Glastonbury Abbey was damaged, while the Church of St Michael on Torr Hill was destroyed.

Tuesday's tremor in Lincolnshire was on a far smaller scale, and there have been no reports of damage or injuries across Grimsby and Cleethorpes.

I will be keeping an eye on any further data released by the British Geological Survey as they assess the event. I'll be following this one.