A rare earthquake has hit New Jersey, rattling buildings in New York City and the surrounding areas.

The United States Geological Survey said the magnitude-4.8 quake's epicentre was near Lebanon, New Jersey.

A UN Security Council meeting on Gaza at its New York headquarters was temporarily paused due to the tremor.

"Is that an earthquake?" said Save the Children representative Janti Soeripto, who was speaking at the time.

The earthquake hit at around 10:20 local time (15:20 GMT). There are no reports of major damage.

Buildings were shaken in the city's Brooklyn and the Bronx districts, rattling cupboard doors and fixtures.

Charita Walcott, a 38-year-old resident in the Bronx, said the quake felt "like a violent rumble that lasted about 30 seconds or so".

"It was kind of like being in a drum circle, that vibration," she said.

Social media users reported feeling the earthquake from Philadelphia up to New York and eastward along the coast.

Fabien Levy of the New York Mayor's office said that officials were assessing the impact.