AN EARTHQUAKE has hit the holiday hotspot Crete in Greece as the large 6.3-magnitude tremor hit the Mediterranean island.

The quake was at a depth of 83km, the German Research Centre for Geosciences said.

The US Geological Survey recorded a lower quake at 6.1 magnitude.

Residents in Israel have reported experiencing tremors from the earthquake, notably in central areas like Tel Aviv, according to The Jerusalem Post.

More than 624,000 people reside in Crete, with around a third of the island’s population living in Heraklion – the capital.

It’s generally thought that any earthquake over 6.0 can cause damage if it hits a populated area.

Roughly 100 earthquakes with a magnitude between 6.1 and 6.9 are recorded each year, according to Michigan Tech University.

This follows an event in February when the picturesque Greek island of Santorini was placed under a state of emergency after enduring a total of 7,700 tremors over a span of two weeks.

Around 7,700 earthquakes have shaken the Santorini-Amorgos seismic zone since January 26.

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