BAE Typhoon jet breaks sound barrier during training mission over the Irish Sea

A Typhoon caused a sonic boom which ripped across the North West of England this morning.

The jet created the huge bang as it went supersonic off the coast of Southport, Merseyside, at around 11am.

BAE Systems said the aircraft was part of flight testing alongside the Royal Air Force and apologised for any alarm caused.

The firm said the Typhoon had been operating in an offshore range area but the sound may have travelled due to ‘climatic conditions’.

The huge sonic boom was heard across Lancashire, Cheshire, Manchester and Merseyside.

Terrified residents thought an ‘earthquake’ had ripped through the earth and said their homes and windows shook.

The jet was part of the Typhoon development programme, which is part of the UK’s attempts at safeguarding national security.

A Royal Air Force plane was in the area during the trial but a spokesman confirmed the military jet did not go supersonic.

The British Geological Survey said the bang was a ‘probable sonic event’ this morning.

It said: ‘BGS has received numerous reports from residents mainly in the Lancashire area but also Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Cheshire who reported a felt event sometime around 11:00 today.

‘Data from BGS seismic networks were examined and signals consistent with a possible sonic origin were recorded at that time.’

A spokesman for BAE Sytems said: ‘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 flight testing 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.’