A sonic boom from a Eurofighter Typhoon has been felt across the town.
OTS has had reports from Kew, Birkdale and the Town Centre of an “earthquake” like sensation and “bang” at approximately 11am.
However OTS can confirm that the sound was the sonic boom from a Eurofighter Typhoon, two of which had been conducting manoeuvres this morning around Southport and Preston.
BAE systems have now confirmed the sound was a supersonic boom from one of their Typhoon aircraft, while apologising to local residents for any concern caused.
Two Typhoons were in the area at the time, one belonging to the RAF, the other to BAE systems.
The Ministry of Defence have confirmed to OTS News that a training sortie was conducted in the area today but the RAF have not launched any Quick Reaction Alert scramble callouts. The MOD also confirmed that at no time did the RAF aircraft go supersonic.
A statement from The British Geological Survey said: “Data from BGS seismic networks were examined and signals consistent with a possible sonic origin were recorded at that time.”
A spokesperson from BAE Systems told OTS News: ‘We can reassure people that the noise reported in the Southport area today was a supersonic boom from one of our Typhoon aircraft, which was undergoing flight testing in an offshore range area.
“As the UK’s sovereign combat air capability provider, we regularly conduct sorties as part of the Typhoon development programme and our broader role in safeguarding national security. We operate in airspace cleared for supersonic testing but apologise for any alarm caused to local residents”
BAE Systems also told OTS News that “under normal environmental conditions” such events are sufficiently far out to sea to not cause sonic booms to be heard on the mainland and that climatic conditions today may have been a factor.