Cyprus was rocked by a 4.9 earthquake in the early hours of Friday morning which was felt throughout the island, particularly in Larnaca and Famagusta.

The seismological centre said the earthquake had a depth of 45km, when it struck just off the Xylofagou coast at 4:40am.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, while authorities continue to monitor the seismic activity.

An official at the geological survey department said the earthquake was felt across the region, in neighbouring Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Turkey.