Breaking News:

mystery bangs 'traumatised' londoners last night - what were they?

Dec 18, 2025 UK News views: 114

Londoners were left wondering they were being invaded after a fireworks display boomed across the city last night.

Social media users in Catford,Canary Wharf,and Crystal Palace all reported hearing strange bangs after 9.30pm yesterday.

No one could pin down the source of the noise,but it was really a fireworks display in Greenwich which caused all of the noise.

It was from a private event held on a boat from the Old Royal Naval College between Greenwich Pier and the former Greenwich Power Station Pier.

Footage shows multiple fireworks going off at the same time for around a minute.

Smoke also fills the sky and blows over nearby homes.

One person wrote: ‘I’m in Bromley. Made me think about what it’s like being in a war,hearing bombing in the near disance and knowing people just died there.

‘Thanks naval college for traumatising me.’

Footage shows multiple fireworks going off at once in Greenwich

Londoners were woken up by what sounded like ‘World War Three’ last night (Picture: Getty Images)

Another said: ‘I’m in Eltham and thought it might actually be World War Three.’

It appears the full firework display accidentally went off in the space of two minutes.

The Old Royal Naval College has been contacted for comment.

To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro's London news hub.

It appears the full firework display accidentally went off in the space of two minutes (Picture: X)

It comes after mysterious lights lit up the night sky across the UK.

People certainly had their theories about what this sparkling light could be.

Sadly,however,no UFO is hovering above the earth,waiting to carry you away,nor has the fabric of the universe been torn in two (yet,at least).

Jim NR Dale,a meteorologist with the British Weather Services,told Metro that these strange sparkling columns were likely light pillars.

Ice-containing clouds – normally miles high in the atmosphere – float lower to the surface during the cold nights of winter.

When light from a ground source hits these horizontal floating crystals,they act like mirrors that reflect the light downwards,forming pillars.

So,rather than a single light column everyone was seeing,people were witnessing various ones across the UK.

Login

Register

Contribute

United News delivers authoritative global news with African and global insights. Breaking coverage on politics, human rights, environmental crises and social justice. Trusted journalism from Johannesburg to the world.

Politics & Conflicts

Business

Environment

Rights & Justice

United News - unews.co.za