The inhabitants of Omagh, Northern Ireland, are disturbed by an annoying noise at night. Sound experts investigate the problem, but the origin remains unknown.
Omagh, a town of 20,000 people in Northern Ireland, has been affected by the noise. (AlbertMi/Shutterstock.com)
Residents of a Northern Ireland town were recently bothered by an annoying noise that kept them awake at night. The local council has called in sound experts to investigate the problem, but no-one knows where the irritating noise is coming from. The sound has been heard across a wide area around Omagh, County Tyrone, in recent weeks. People describe it as a persistent buzz or buzz that becomes more noticeable at night. Alliance Party councilor Stephen Donnelly has instructed the council to investigate the issue and they have confirmed that it is a real problem. However, it remains a mystery what is causing the sound. Donnelly said it was initially thought to be limited to the southeast, but as time went on it became clear it affected the entire city. It may be climate related, but the actual origin is unknown at this time and we need to try to establish the facts before finding a solution. Hum, as this phenomenon is called, has been reported in several parts of Europe, Australia and North America since the 1970s. A notable example is the Taos Hum, which began in 1993 when people in Taos, New Mexico, began complaining of a mysterious low-frequency hum. There is still no consensus on its origin and there are several theories, ranging from mechanical devices to tinnitus and mass psychogenic illnesses. One recurring theory is that it could be related to low-frequency radio waves used by the military. Councilor Donnelly stressed that there does not appear to be anything overly sinister or supernatural going on and urged people not to trust conspiracy theories. Hopefully the problem in Omagh can be resolved in time, although it may have a boring explanation.
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