A MYSTERY 'sonic boom' shook Dorset yesterday - leading to widespread speculation about the cause.
At around 2.45pm a loud 'boom' was heard across the county and beyond - with reports of it being heard as far as Normandy in France.
- READ MORE: Did a meteor fireball cause sonic boom in Dorset?
- READ MORE: 'Sonic boom' shakes Dorset
The sound reverberated for several minutes and shook homes, rattling windows setting off car alarms.
Very interesting sound - I heard what sounded like large object(s) had fallen upstairs and the sound just fizzled out within 10 seconds https://t.co/r3r2gGdrw8
— Dorset Echo Mike (@JournoMikeT) March 20, 2021
But what was the cause?
Early speculation on social media was that military planes flying overhead had caused the boom.
However it is understood that the Ministry of Defence has quashed those rumours and said it is not responsible.
This evening a resident in Jersey recorded dashcam footage appearing to show a meteor in the skies over the island.
Astronomer Will Gater took to Twitter with a theory that a meteorite was the cause of the boom.
So far, there has been no confirmation of the cause by official sources, despite widespread reports of the incident in national news and on social media.
The British Geological Survey has said that a "probable sonic event" took place today in Dorset, Somerset and Devon.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel