But the National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology says it wasn’t an earthquake…

The UAE’s National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCM) has released a statement saying that “tremors” felt in the north of the country on Tuesday night were not connected to an earthquake in Iran.

Residents in the northern emirates reportedly thought there was an earthquake after they experienced a loud noise and shaking windows.

ALSO READ: Does Dubai ever get earthquakes?

The NCM confirmed on Twitter a 2.1 magnitude earthquake had been recorded in North East Bandar Abbas, south of Iran, at 8.59pm (UAE time).

However, the centre added: “What the people in the north of the country felt has nothing to do with this tremor.”

Because of Iran’s proximity to the UAE, when it is hit by a big quake, UAE residents typically experience mild to moderate tremors. They are usually most strongly felt in Dubai, due to the high-rise buildings.

In November last year, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake on the Iran-Iraq border was felt in Dubai.

“With the epicenter of the earthquake being 1,378 km away from the emirate, the quake was felt only by high-altitude residents and tall towers where some individuals felt a slight vibration that had no effect on individuals and buildings,” Dubai Municipality said at the time.

What could have caused the latest tremors? At the moment, it’s a bit of a mystery. We’ll let you know as soon as we have more information.

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