All shook up! Riddle of the massive sonic boom that the north east of England mistook for an earthquake

When concerned residents in Northumberland felt an ominous rumbling and saw buildings shake near their homes this afternoon, many suspected a minor earthquake had hit the north east.

But after contacting the authorities to report the apparent quake, eyewitnesses in Berwick were told the cause of the tremor came from the sky, rather than the ground.

The British Geological Survey revealed that the likely cause of the rumbling and shaking buildings was a ‘sonic event’ from a pair of military jets flying over the area.

 

Residents in Berwick, Northumberland, felt the apparent tremor caused by a ‘sonic event’ at around 3.15pm today (file picture)

Locals in Northumberland had called police after buildings shook and loud rumbling was heard at around 3.15pm.

Shortly after the incident, a Northumbria Police spokesperson said reports had flooded in from people who felt the earth move.

The force added that there were no injuries or reports of any damage.

The British Geological Survey said it had received calls from people in Northumberland and Tyne and Wear, with reports including ‘I heard a low frequency rumble’, that the ‘whole house shook’ or the caller ‘heard a very loud boom’.

Tremor: A British Geological Survey seismogram shows the extent of the rumbling in Berwick yesterday

A spokesman said: ‘Data from the BGS seismic networks in the region were examined and a signal consistent with a possible sonic origin was recorded at approximately 15.13.

‘The reports received are also consistent with historical observations received for previous events with a sonic origin.’

‘The observations received are similar to those which have been received previously for sonic boom. RAF Kinloss were contacted and have advised that there were two military jets on exercise in the area at the time.’

Cause: The tremor is likely to have been caused by a Tornado jet similar to this one, after the RAF confirmed two military planes were in the air at the time of the ‘quake’

The Vicar of Berwick, Canon Alan Hughes, told the Berwick Advertiser: ‘I was standing outside the vicarage and the next thing I knew people were piling out of the Church of Scotland and doors were rattling and people were coming out their houses and offices.

‘It shook me to the core.’

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: ‘We have had a few people from people in the Berwick area about loud noises and buildings vibrating. We are looking into these.

‘There has not been any reports of any damage.’