Norwegian experts say an unusually large meteor has been seen over parts of southern Scandinavia and illuminated south-east Norway with a powerful flash of light for at least five seconds.

At the same time, many observers reported they also heard a roaring sound afterwards.

The Norwegian Meteor Network said that it had analysed and reviewed videos of the event on Sunday and said the meteor first appeared about 90 kilometres north of the capital Oslo. It continued its trail in a south-west direction before fragmenting in several flashes of light.

“The meteor appeared at 1.08am on the night of July 25 and was visible for approximately for five seconds,” the network said, posting video on the phenomenon on its Twitter site.

Sightings of meteors – space rocks that burn brightly after entering the earth’s atmosphere at high speed – aren’t uncommon over Norway and the Norwegian Meteor Network has cameras continuously monitoring the sky.

A meteor that survives passage to the ground is known as a meteorite.

Preliminary data suggested a meteorite might have hit Earth in a large forested area, Finnemarka, not far from Oslo, the Norwegian Meteor Network said.