What is the loudest sound you have ever heard?

[TheTecknician]

Both of mine were at very close quarters. One was a foghorn on a cross-channel ferry. It sounded whilst I, unbeknownst to me, was sitting right underneath it. I jumped so far it's a wonder I didn't end up in the sea! The other was one afternoon at work, standing underneath Concorde when it was starting two of its four engines. It was the most incredible, deep-chested roar I've ever heard. Yet to be surpassed.

Switching on the bloody engine on my car, and realising (in the past) that DH had been driving it whilst listening to really loud music. And had forgotten to adjust it before he got out. It used to make me livid.

He has a hearing aid these days, unsurprisingly.

Definitely a sonic boom, it was terrifying!

The Buncefield explosion. I was sleeping on a friend's sofa a few miles away from it.

I was just going to post this ! It was SO loud !

Yes I heard that and I live 20 odd miles away.

I’ve been to lots of concerts and now always wear good ear protection. However in my youth I watched The Damned at the Brentwood Centre in the early 1990’s. I think it permanently damaged my hearing and I swear my ears bled. It was so painful. I’ve seen them since and it wasn’t nearly so loud! They are great live!

Boom before an earthquake. Reptile brain tells you to get out of wherever you are, even if it's a small one.

The Vulcan bomber plane at an airshow. Made my ribcage vibrate!

Top fuel dragster at Santa pod. Very loud!

A red arrow went off course and flew between two blocks of high rise flats ,i was on the balcony and nearly died of fright

Thé hillside below the castle in Saumur collapsing and falling several hundred metres into the road. It also took away half a school, thankfully no one was there as it was the weekend.

Its not just the noise, but the vibration through the earth.

I think it might have been when I was woken by the loudest noise ever, and it was because the kids had switched on the tv and turned up the volume to MAX! It was so loud I almost couldn't get to the remote control to turn it off.

My dad's sneezes

@StealthilyEmbraceTheSilkyBeans @tangoboxing I was going to post exactly the same.

When I heard the Dockland's bomb, I knew exactly what it was because I had been half a mile away from the Baltic Exchange one. The sound is unmistakable.

An earthquake. Not that loud in decibels but the reverberation was something else.

it sounded like a fleet of massive juggernauts driving over a ridged roadway for about 20 seconds. Like nothing I heard before or after.

Last summer I was having a daytime nap with the windows open, my windows are massive floor to ceiling and I was woken by the loudest noise I had ever heard … a massive clap of thunder followed by buckets of rain . I honestly thought the world was ending how loud it was whilst still half asleep . I actually felt panicky coz I was so worried it didn’t sound normal !

The flood alarm former air raid siren going off above my head. I was in a community hall and it was in the attic, it made the ground shake.

On camp at an RAF base in tents as a cadet when 10 chinooks flew over and landed in the field next to us at 5 am.

Old WW2 bomb going off it was loud and I was 2 miles away, glad I wasn't closer it sent car alarms off in the street. I'd hate to know what lots of them sounded like when originally dropped.

A lightning hitting the flag pole outside my room that scared the bejesus out of me.

M grandads sneezes never failed to make me jump! My grandma used to shout at him every time! I've never heard anyone sneeze so loud, before or since!

Vulcan bomber flying over us in the Yorkshire Dales once, came from behind the trees, the roar rumbled in your chest! Have loved that plane ever since. Saw its last flight at RAF Finningley as was. Super loud and amazing!

Concorde on its couple of rare visits to LBA. Mine and my mums flat was under the flight path. As it was coming into land, it was less than 100ft directly above us. I swear I could see the pilots watch! Ear coveringly loud!

Out on the motorbike in the Yorkshire Dales again, but further up. Two bombers (fighter jets) appeared from behind us and into the valley at the side of us, we were looking down on them as they shot past. The sound came out of nowhere and I nearly jumped off the back of the bike!

My DD playing the trumpet and showing me what she had learnt in her first lesson (she had not learnt volume control, for sure)

Being in an orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall many years ago playing the Tchaikovsky 1812 overture. Everyone playing full bore deafeningly loud, cannon fireworks going off, a complete wall of sound like I've never experienced before and I'm aware I'm playing too but can't hear myself at all. I can feel the vibrations from the organ coming up through the floor. It was so mad I started laughing.
The Vulcan flying low overhead was loud, louder than I remember Concorde being.
We had what I think was a thunderbolt nearby a few years ago, that was as loud as any bomb explosion I've had the misfortune to hear and was followed by a cacophony of alarms going off. I was so shocked all I could do was walk about saying fuck over and over again.

Typhoons at an air show. Incredible to watch!!

Buncefield - I was awake at the time having just sneaked in from my BF's (now DH's) house. Could feel it before I heard it, and could see the ripple of the boom in the patio doors

Loudest prolonged sound was a Take That concert where they were selling whistles outside. My hearing was completely muffled for 3 days after that (worth it though!)

Interesting but oddly stressful thread! I never want to hear some of these noises 🥺

@StealthilyEmbraceTheSilkyBeans I will follow you to the library

Lightening strike that hit the tree in my garden. The bang was so loud I actually thought it was a bomb

This, twice. Was terrified the first time (I was only a child) and the scone time I jumped out of bed not sure what it was initially.