Can Bad Weather Affect Your Internet?

Bad Weather Affect Internet

Have you felt your heart sinking while you hear the thunderclouds outside charging lightning bolts followed by flashes and some epic loud bang? You get goosebumps when you hear the thunderclaps with heavy rain all of a sudden. There is nothing more pleasant than the sweet smell of rain and the thunder somehow reminds us of how strong and magnificent nature is, but the instant thought of confronting internet issues and crawling speeds kills the vibe. That’s what makes our hearts sink. O snap! We might run out of internet now. The concern is genuine. Let’s see can bad weather affect your internet or not.

After all, having an internet slowdown means your life will halt. No exaggeration, that’s how it feels when you do not have internet access. You can’t watch Netflix, you cannot order your favorite food, you cannot video call a loved one, you cannot check your WhatsApp messages, and also you cannot perform your job tasks, so yes, the chills you get are genuine, knowing that the bad weather is going to affect your internet connection and your daily online routine in general. 

There are trusted network services like RCN internet that you can rely on without a hint of doubt on bad weather days, and even if you do face any connectivity issue, the ISP’s outstanding customer support team rescues you instantly.  In general, stormy days can be the cause of internet outages. Also, what internet type you use and which provider you have subscribed to are important factors involved in the issue you are likely to face during bad weather. So, without further ado, let’s get a closer look at how bad weather can affect various internet types:

Bad Weather and Satellite Internet

Among cable, fiber, and satellite that are the most common internet types used across America, satellite internet is more prone to have connectivity issues during bad weather conditions. The reason behind it is that the data is transmitted through the air rather than the cables buried in the ground. The signals travel from the satellite to the earth and back the same way. So, bad weather can weaken or distort the signal pathway. 

The radio waves signals that are transmitted by the orbiting satellite travel through the open air. So, heavy rain, dust storm, or any weather condition can result in weak signal strength. 

Not just that, another prominent factor for satellite internet to be more influenced by bad weather is that its equipment is mounted outside, often on the rooftop. So, extreme weather conditions can damage the equipment, which in turn may affect internet performance. If you are a satellite internet user, make sure you subscribe to a provider that offers good quality customer support service to avoid any hassle.

How Bad Weather Affects Other Internet Types?

Any type of internet connection is affected by extreme weather conditions to some extent. Whether it’s cable, DSL, or fiber internet, outages result when thunderstorms, dust storms, heavy snow, or any acute weather change damages the power line or infrastructure. If such a situation occurs, the internet supply will be disconnected and service will be unavailable. Public Wi-Fi hotspots may also be badly affected by extreme weather changes. 

Even if heavy rain stops, it may still take a while for the internet to restore its best speeds since the high humidity levels can keep weakening the signal strength, thus, slowing down the internet. Most of the cables are buried underground, so, in case of flooding, the moisture can reach the cables and interfere with the signal transmission. 

When it comes to high winds, wireless internet might not be interrupted but satellite internet can be affected since the mounted satellite dishes can get swayed by the wind. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that the weather condition may not be the sole culprit behind your slow internet performance; rather it is the response of other humans stuck in the same situation, which is to be blamed. Yes, everyone rushes to watch Netflix or actively consume the internet since the weather is not good and they cannot go outside, leading to crawling speeds. 

Does Heavy Rain Affect Internet Speeds?

Some drizzling, mild rain, snow, or wind might not affect your internet connection or speeds. However, large thunderstorms or other extreme weather conditions are different cases. It is a general perception that intense natural disasters result in power and internet outages, as they might mess up the power lines and damage the infrastructure. 

Even the extreme temperature changes followed by the extreme weather conditions can make the ground expand or contract, and affect the cables by causing wear and tear. Therefore, you are likely to experiences disrupted Wi-Fi signals or slowing internet speeds during bad weather conditions. 

Wrapping Up

Yes, bad weather conditions can affect your internet connection, particularly if you are a satellite internet user. However, not every user is affected the same way. It mainly depends on your location, your internet type, and the internet service provider you have chosen.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By browsing this website, you agree to our use of cookies.