Mysterious loud bangs in the Temuka area are not believed to be earthquakes, a GNS spokesperson says.

Paleoecologist doctor Ursula Cochran, of GNS Science, said the ''events'' reported to The Timaru Herald over the last three days have not been recorded as earthquakes by Geonet so believed ''there must be another explanation'' for them.

Temuka residents have contacted the Herald with their experiences - many saying the loud bangs had been followed by shaking.

Dr Cochran said there had been no reports of earthquakes at the times people had been hearing the bangs.

''The fact it hasn't registered on the Geonet website as an earthquake, it's probably more local. It does sound pretty unusual.''

Temuka resident Jenny Bolitho is among the many people who have been mystified by the events.

''My husband and I live on Springfield Road, just 50 metres from the substation,'' she said.

''We were rudely woken by this horrible noise on Wednesday night, at first thinking it was an earthquake. My husband checked our property but couldn't find anything amiss. The next morning there was another bang, I was sitting at the time and felt the vibration through the stool on which I was sitting, which seemed to come through the [concrete] floor.''

Betty Weavers has also heard the noises, and was pleased to know others had too.

''We live in Seddon Street and have been mystified by the bangs and rattles.''

She said the experience had been frightening.

''It is quite scary as we think someone is trying to force their way through the front door and this makes other doors rattle.''

She described the bangs as ''strange'', which seem to occur at ''any time''.

Ann Behrnes, who lives a couple of paddocks away from the Temuka substation, thought the bangs she was hearing were explosions.

She heard the first one on Wednesday at 11.30pm, which prompted her to get out of bed to investigate. She heard another strange noise at 7am on Thursday, which sounded like a train and was followed by a ''big'' shake.

It was enough to make her consider texting family in Christchurch to see if they had, had another quake there. ''I checked quake websites later in the morning, amazed that nothing had been recorded,'' she said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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