A bright light and what sounded like thunder have shaken the Detroit metropolitan area, and the National Weather Service says it could have been a meteor.

Some residents reported their homes shaking, and the weather service said it had received dozens of reports.

Meteorologist Jordan Dale said the organisation is trying to determine what caused the light and noise, calling it “a rare occurrence”.

He added that the weather service has not been able to confirm that it was a meteor despite reports and videos received by the agency, but said: “It was not thunder or lightning or weather-related.”