A strong earthquake rattled Hokkaido early Monday, the U.S. and Japanese meteorological agencies reported, the latest in a series of powerful tremors to hit Japan.

The magnitude 6.2 quake struck shortly before 5:30 a.m. in Hokkaido¡¯s southern region, at a depth of 83 kilometers, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported.

The quake registered an upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale in the town of Urahoro, Hokkaido, and a lower 5 in the town of Niikappu, also in Hokkaido, according to the JMA.