Darwin and Top End residents have been jolted awake after a large earthquake struck Indonesia early on Tuesday morning.

The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre reported a 7.7 earthquake in the Tanimbar region, in waters north of Australia.

The quake was at a depth of 97km below the earth’s surface, EMSC said.

There was no tsunami alert for Australia or any islands.

However the strong tremors were enough to wake people in northern Australia before dawn.

There were reports that the rumbles were felt for up to four minutes.

Some Darwin residents described houses shaking, items falling off shelves and dogs going crazy as the city rattled.

“We’re all awake now!” said Steph Berlin on Twitter.

“That was intense.”

Tweet from @StephPBerlin

Darwin resident Trevor Power told the Nine network the quake was the worst he had felt in 40 years in the city and over two minutes it shook more and more, accompanied by a roaring sound.

“The house started shaking then she really started shaking to the point you could hear the windows start to rattle and creak.”

Mr Power said his family rushed outside where the car was shaking in the driveway and the dogs were “going absolutely crazy”.

He said he feared there could be severe damage and casualties around where the quake struck in Indonesia.

Tweet from @cantopopped

The quake woke residents in Darwin around 3.15am, the ABC has reported.

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre assessed there was no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories.