New Zealand earthquake: Jacinda Ardern keeps cool as 5.9 magnitude quake interrupts press conference

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been shaken mid-press conference by a 5.9 magnitude earthquake.

Tens of thousands of Kiwis reported the earthquake to monitoring website GeoNet on Friday morning.

Ms Ardern was temporarily thrown as she attempted to answer questions on the country’s new COVID-19 strategy from Wellington’s Beehive.

“Sorry. A slight distraction,” she said, looking upwards as a rumble was felt in the Executive Building.

“Would you mind repeating that question?” she asked, before carrying on.

The tremor was centred 30km south-west of Taumarunui, near Mount Ruapehu in the middle of North Island.

Originally estimated at 5.2 magnitude, it was upgraded by GeoNet minutes after the quake.

“Was stationary in the car and it rocked and rolled!” Twitter user Tenille Nicol said from Wellington.