Scientists have detected several thousand earthquakes, the vast majority of them with small magnitudes, in just over two weeks near Greece’s volcanic island of Santorini.

It welcomes around 3 million visitors per year, but between January 26 and February 8, the Seismology Laboratory of the University of Athens has registered a staggering 12,800 earthquakes in the Santorini-Amorgos zone, the strongest of these was last night at a magnitude of 5.3.

Greek officials are warning those on the popular tourist island destination of Santorini to stay alert in the coming days due to increasing seismic activity which could mean a strong earthquake is possible.

Greece has declared a state of emergency on Santorini after hundreds of undersea earthquakes shook the resort island for nearly a week.

Tuesday morning’s quakes included two magnitude 5.1 earthquakes centered in the Aegean Sea north of Santorini.

Thousands of locals and travelers have evacuated the Greek island of Santorini amidst a spike in seismic activity.

More Greek islands closed schools Tuesday as hundreds of earthquakes ratted the Aegean Sea, while a handful of hardy tourists enjoyed having Santorini’s stunning views to themselves

A state of emergency has been declred in Santorini, a volcanic island and popular tourist destination in Greece, as an 'earthquake swarm' that began earlier this month continues. Since 31 January, more than 800 tremors with a magnitude of three and above have been recorded.

The latest of hundreds of earthquakes have rattled the volcanic Greek island of Santorini after the strongest one so far with magnitude 5.3

Santorini has been hit by the strongest earthquake in weeks. A 5.3-magnitude quake struck in the sea area between Santorini and Amorgos in the Cyclades - the strongest of the thousands detected last week.