AN earthquake has struck California waking thousands around Berkeley and San Jose, with locals fearing the Big One bracing for aftershocks.
The earthquake struck just 3km from Berkeley
The earthquake is believed to have struck just 3km from Berkeley, and some 65 km northwest of San Jose, shortly before 3am local time (10am UK).
The "strong" tremor woke thousands of people up as many took to social media in fear of it being the "Big One".
One tweeted: "Wow! Just experienced a major earthquake in San Jose, California. Brace for after shocks..."
Another wrote: "Omg, the earthquake scared me! So unexpected and different from others."
and one said: "There was an earthquake just now and i was fully expecting it to be the big one that destroys California".
The quake apparently woke people in the Bay Area and was felt in San Francisco, Oakland, Walnut Creek and as far away as Dublin, Livermore, Union City and Milpitas.
Reports indicate the earthquake was felt throughout the region for around five to 10 seconds.
Several jolts were felt at San Francisco International Airport and the US Geological Survey website says people reported feeling the quake 40 miles (64 kilometers) south in San Jose.
According to the USGS, the quake was recorded at 4.4 magnitude
One Twitter user posted: "California, you need to chill out. I was not looking to be woken up by your 4.7 mag earthquake."
Another added: "Still freaking out. All through my childhood, I lived through hurricanes but you always knew when they were coming. It's terrifying not knowing when an earthquake will strike or how strong it will be. This 4.5 earthquake was a whopper."
According to the USGS, the quake was recorded at around 4.5 magnitude - which is not expected to cause major damage.
However, USGS seismologist Robert Sanders said “there’s always a possibility of some minor damage to older structures in the area.”