Belfast siren: Mystery noise caused by small Harbour Estate fire

  • Published
Cranes in BelfastImage source, PA Media
Image caption,

The siren was caused by a small fire in the Harbour Estate

A loud siren heard across Belfast on Saturday morning was triggered by a small electrical fire in the Harbour Estate.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) confirmed that four fire engines attended an incident on Airport Road West.

It was reported at 08:48 GMT and resolved by 10:20 GMT.

The noise caused confusion among residents, with some on social media comparing it to an air raid siren.

"Anyone know why there's an air raid siren going off in Belfast for that seems like an eternity this morning?" a user wrote on X, formerly Twitter., external

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post by 𝐄.𝐒. 𝐇𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐚𝐧

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post by 𝐄.𝐒. 𝐇𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐚𝐧

Another user said, external: "Should we be worried that the air raid sirens is going off in Belfast?"

Earlier in March the owners of a football stadium in Londonderry apologised after a late night faulty fire alarm kept local residents awake.

People living near the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, which is home to Derry City FC, said they were growing increasingly frustrated with false alarms sounding at the ground.

One householder told BBC NI the alarm had gone off at least three times in the past year.

Image source, Lorcan Doherty
Image caption,

People living close to the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium are frustrated with its fire alarms

Last year a persistent night-time hum was reported by Omagh residents.

Alliance Party councillor Stephen Donnelly said he had been contacted by people in the Tamlaght Road area in late October, but there were also reports of the mystery noise from other parts of the County Tyrone town in the weeks that followed

Mr Donnelly said people had described it as "a persistent buzz or hum" distinct from more common noise such as traffic.

Many people reported problems sleeping because of the noise pollution.

A phenomenon known widely as "the Hum" has been reported across the globe over the past five decades, including in the UK, North America and Australia.

Some people have attributed such 'Hum' noises to farm or factory machinery, while others have subscribed to more outlandish conspiracy theories such as flying saucers.