Why is my TV signal breaking up during high-pressure weather?

If your TV channels are breaking up, disappearing, or your radio reception isn't as clear as usual, your equipment may not be the problem.

During periods of high pressure, weather conditions can temporarily affect TV and radio signals. This can cause reception issues for some customers, including picture break-up, missing channels or distorted radio.

The good news? In most cases, your TV, radio and aerial are working perfectly normally, and reception should return once the weather changes.

Can high pressure affect TV and radio reception?

Yes, high-pressure weather can cause TV and radio signals to travel much further than usual.

When this happens, signals from distant transmitters can interfere with the signal you're trying to receive. In some cases, your local TV signal can also become weaker.

You may notice:

• TV pictures freezing, pixelating or breaking up
• Missing TV channels
• Loss of TV or radio signal
• Intermittent reception issues
• Radio stations becoming distorted or difficult to hear

These issues can last from a few hours to a few days, depending on the weather conditions.

What should I do if high pressure is affecting my TV signal?

In most cases, the best thing to do is wait for the high-pressure weather to pass.

Unfortunately, there is usually no adjustment that can be made to your TV, radio or aerial to fix weather-related interference.

Reception should return to normal automatically once conditions change.

Please don't retune your TV or radio

It can be tempting to retune when channels disappear, but this can actually make the problem worse.

Retuning won't fix weather-related reception issues and may:

• Remove channels that were previously available
• Store signals from a distant transmitter instead of your local one
• Mean you'll need to retune again once conditions improve

If you're experiencing reception problems during a period of high-pressure weather, it's best to leave your settings exactly as they are.

How to check for high-pressure weather reception issues

Broadcasters such as the BBC may issue warnings when high-pressure weather is expected to affect TV and radio reception.

We'll also share updates on known high-pressure weather events and widespread reception issues on our Facebook page.

Follow Hughes on Facebook to stay informed and get the latest advice if high-pressure weather is affecting TV or radio services in your area.

If the weather is causing the problem, your reception should return to normal once conditions change.