Explosions mystery solved in the South

Police say booms are jet fighter testing

Police say loud explosions heard in the south of the Island are sonic booms from fighter planes undergoing test flights.

Over the past few weeks, officers say residents in Port Erin and Port St Mary have been reporting the loud noises – but until now their cause has remained a mystery.

It’s now emerged BAE Systems test pilots have been flying circles to test new Eurofighter Typhoons, with the flights taking them off our West and South coasts at an altitude of around 40,000 feet.

And as they turn back to head to the UK, they achieve supersonic speeds – producing the booms reported to police.