Sonic Boom Shakes Southeast England After RAF Jets Scramble
Earlier today, people across parts of East and Southeast England got an unexpected wake-up call when a loud, thunderous bang echoed through the skies. The source? A sonic boom triggered by RAF Typhoon fighter jets that had been scrambled to investigate a civilian aircraft that lost contact with air traffic control.
It all happened around 11:40 BST when three Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon jets were launched from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. Their mission was to intercept a passenger plane traveling from Nice in southern France after it had gone silent on the radar. Fortunately, once the jets reached the plane, communications were quickly re-established, and it was safely escorted to Stansted Airport. Authorities confirmed that there was nothing concerning found on the ground.
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A sonic boom, for anyone unfamiliar, is created when an aircraft flies faster than the speed of sound—roughly 761 miles per hour at ground level. At higher altitudes, this speed changes slightly, but the effect is the same. As the jet cuts through the sky at supersonic speeds, it compresses and then releases air pressure in a shockwave, producing a sound often compared to an explosion or a clap of thunder. Because the shockwave travels along with the plane, it can be heard over a surprisingly wide area. In this instance, the boom was reported in counties including Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Kent, and even parts of London.
Social media quickly lit up with people describing the experience. In Chelmsford, Essex, one resident said the upper floors of her house shook. In Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, a back door rattled violently. Meanwhile, in Bexley, London, a woman was grooming her mother’s horse when the ground literally seemed to tremble beneath her feet. For many, the initial reaction was sheer alarm—some thought there had been an explosion nearby. Watching television in Braintree, Conor Kehoe and his fiancée Manisha Dev described the noise as “a thunderous clap,” something they had never experienced before, especially Manisha, who had never heard a sonic boom while visiting from Singapore.
Flight tracking data shows that one of the Eurofighter Typhoon jets reached speeds of just under 805 miles per hour at an altitude of around 40,000 feet, producing the shockwave that residents heard. RAF spokespeople emphasized that these Typhoons are “highly capable and agile combat aircraft,” regularly deployed for air policing, peacekeeping, and high-intensity operations.
While the sonic boom may have caused a moment of alarm, the incident was handled quickly and safely, highlighting both the speed and precision with which the RAF can respond to potential airspace concerns.
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