Mystery hum gives a whole town sleepless nights

A mysterious humming noise heard at night across a town in Northern Ireland has prompted a council to investigate its source.

Residents in Omagh, County Tyrone, have complained a “persistent buzz” has left them unable to sleep, with noise reports first lodged in late October.

Stephen Donnelly, an Alliance Party councillor, said the mystery hum, described as more distinct from noises caused by traffic, was proving a serious problem for residents.

Fermanagh and Omagh district council is seeking to hire specialists to detect the sound after initial attempts to trace it were unsuccessful.

Specialist equipment needed

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Donnelly said: “It may well be that it’s seasonal or weather-related, but these things often don’t turn out to be simple and it may be a multitude of sources.

“What we need to do is establish the facts and get to the bottom of this and then take action to resolve this.”

A council spokesman said the investigation had so far proved challenging as officials consider the next steps to identify the hum.

“Due to the wide area where the sound has been reported it is difficult to pinpoint the exact source(s),” she said.

“Officers are currently investigating the use of specialist equipment, or procurement of a specialist company, to assist in detecting the source of the noise.”

‘Never-ending cycle of torture’

Mysterious noises have previously plagued other towns and villages across the UK.

In December, residents in Holmfield, West Yorkshire, described how a late-night noise was like a “never-ending cycle of torture”.

Known locally as the Holmfield Hum, the droning sound was compared to the whirring of a washing machine or an idling diesel engine.

And in 2013, scientists speculated mysterious noises keeping some Hampshire residents awake at night was as a result of fish having sex in a nearby estuary.

Residents in Hythe, near Southampton, were reportedly forced to move away from the area after “pulsating” sounds echoed in their homes at night.

The National Oceanography Centre in Southampton was unable to shed any light on the mystery.

However, the Scottish Association for Marine Science claimed fish could be responsible for the bizarre buzzing sound.

Dr Ben Wilson said: “It’s not beyond the realms of possibility.

“There are certainly ‘sonic fish’ in the north Atlantic and the approaches to the English Channel.”

Midshipman male fish let out a distinctive drone to let females know they are searching for a mate.