Sonic boom heard on Northumberland coast during military exercise

A sonic boom has been heard on the Northumberland coast during military training.
A sonic boom was heard on the Northumberland coast during military activity.A sonic boom was heard on the Northumberland coast during military activity.
A sonic boom was heard on the Northumberland coast during military activity.

The Ministry of Defence has explained that climatic conditions may have contributed to it being heard inland.

A sonic boom is a sound associated with shock waves created when an object travels through the air faster than the speed of sound.

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An RAF spokesperson said: “The RAF and our allies operate frequently and routinely over the North Sea completing operational training inside supersonic offshore range areas, on some occasions climatic conditions may mean that our operations are heard inland.”

How a sonic boom occurs.How a sonic boom occurs.
How a sonic boom occurs.

Supersonic flight in offshore military training ranges for RAF and allied fighter aircraft is routine.

Under normal environmental conditions such events are sufficiently far out to sea to not cause sonic booms to be heard on the mainland.

The sonic boom happened around 12.10pm today (Wednesday, September 15).

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Embleton resident David Ainsley, who contacted the Northumberland Gazette, said: “It sounded like something had hit our roof.”

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