Salford locals have been discussing a mysterious noise that was disturbing people in the middle of the night this weekend.
Described as a ‘pulsating low frequency noise’, the thrumming noise was caught on camera between 3am and 5am on Sunday morning.
In a video of the Salford skyline at night shared on Reddit, the repetitive humming noise can be clearly heard echoing through the streets.
The user who shared it wrote: “Anyone know what this pulsating low frequency noise could be? Heard last night from around 3-5am near Salford.”
Theories as to the source of the noise have varied wildly, from the logical (a police helicopter or roadworks) to the insane (a pet T-Rex snoring).
Several people have asked if it could be Beetham Tower, which famously emits a loud humming noise whenever it’s windy in the city centre.
But as the weekend was scorching hot with barely a breeze, that doesn’t seem likely.
One person said: “That’s just the government testing their new low frequency brain wave scan gadgets.”
Another wrote: “Sorry we were just testing our anti gravity drive last night. Don’t worry it’ll be in space from now on, you won’t hear it.”
Someone else joked: “Hans Zimmer must be in town.”
By far the most commonly shared opinion as to the source of the humming noise, though, is that it’s the return of the weird phenomenon known as ‘The Hum’.
Someone wrote: “Could be the mysterious ‘Hum’ heard all over the world and a lot in UK. i hear it all the time, scientists are baffled as to what it is.”
One user commented: “The hum has made its grand return.”
Read more: TWO Metrolink lines will be closed this week for engineering works
The Hum is, in theory, a ‘persistent and invasive low-frequency humming, rumbling, or droning noise not audible to all people’.
It’s been reported all over the world, including here in the UK, but no one has ever agreed on a single cause.
Instead, it’s usually pinned on to something like machinery, jet streams against power lines, or even toadfish.
But the cause of the Salford hum remains a mystery. For now…
Featured image: Universal Pictures / Unsplash