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What is a sonic boom, which plane did it come from and what was the explosion in Cambridge, Essex and London?
12 January 2021, 13:34 | Updated: 12 January 2021, 13:38
A fighter jet's sonic boom caused an explosion to be heard across Cambridge, Essex and London this afternoon.
People in areas of England were left shaken after they experienced a loud bang this afternoon, caused by a fight jet's sonic boom.
Residents in the area said they could feel their homes "shake", while one said they thought a plane had "fallen though" their roof.
Cambridge City Council tweeted shortly after the bang: "If you heard a massively loud bang over #Cambridge in the last few minutes, don't panic - apparently it was the sonic boom from a fighter plane breaking the sound barrier!"
What is a sonic boom?
A sonic boom is a "loud and explosive" noise that is caused by the shock wave from an aircraft.
The noise occurs when the object travels faster that the speed of sound.
If you heard a massively loud bang over #Cambridge in the last few minutes, don't panic - apparently it was the sonic boom from a fighter plane breaking the sound barrier!
— Cambridge City Council (@camcitco) January 12, 2021
What plane caused the sonic boom today?
According to reports, the sounds was caused by a RAF Typhoon travelling south today around 13:05.
