Huge sonic boom caught on camera

On Tuesday, a blasting sound from the atmosphere scared people across Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, Cambridge, and some parts of London, as two Royal Airforce (RAF) Typhoon jets escorted a private jet on its way to London.

Communication was re-established and the aircraft was escorted safely away from central London and around Heathrow into Stansted airport.

Residents said their houses were "shaking" after the jet made a "loud bang".

A sonic boom is created when an object moves through air faster than the speed of sound, 767mph, which the jet first surpassed near Peterborough.

A sonic boom caused by RAF Typhoon jets was heard above London and Cambridge on Tuesday.

The RAF has confirmed that a Typhoon fighter from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire carried out a quick reaction alert to intercept a civilian aircraft after it lost communication as it flew towards London.

Another Twitter user posted a video in which an explosion could be heard. The council wrote on Twitter.

"The Typhoon aircraft were authorised to transit at supersonic speed for operational reasons", he said.

"Honestly thought a bomb went off but yeah it was a sonic boom in Cambridge!"

Another user, John Walsh, said: "Sonic boom just now over Cambridge!"

"At first I thought it was either an explosion or an natural disaster".

A Typhoon can be scrambled within minutes from RAF Coningsby to intercept any aircraft unknown/not communicating to air traffic control.