MILLIONS of Brits could face TV blackouts this week as “pressure” on the network threatens to knock out services.
Freeview fans could face days of TV chaos as high pressure wreaks havoc with signals across the UK.
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Viewers are being warned of possible blackouts from today right through to Wednesday, with some channels vanishing completely depending on where you live.
The culprit? A bout of stubborn atmospheric pressure that’s set to mess with signals — leaving millions staring at blank screens.
Freeview has urged households not to panic or retune their TVs, reminding viewers that similar disruptions hit several times a year.
Why does the weather mess with Freeview Signals?
High-pressure systems — those weather patterns that usually bring clear skies and calm air — can play havoc with TV reception.
Under these conditions, signals from local transmitters are effectively lifted higher into the sky, which can allow them to drift farther and overlap with broadcasts from more distant transmitters.
This interference can scramble your picture, drop channels, or make reception disappear entirely.
The atmosphere acts like a signal-funnelling layer, bending and bouncing radio and TV waves further than usual.
When that happens, your aerial may pick up the “wrong” signals — or so many overlapping signals — that things go haywire.
This can result in pixelation on your screen, certain channels becoming temporarily unavailable, or a complete loss of reception.
Freeview itself warns that interference from weather is temporary and will clear once conditions change — and importantly, you should not retune during such events, as you might lock onto the wrong transmitter and lose your original setup permanently.
However, these problems also won’t affect viewers who are getting Freeview channels via broadband, such as Sky Glass, Sky Stream, EE TV’s IP channels or Virgin Media Stream box.
What can I do?
If your Freeview signal goes on the blink this week, don’t start mashing the retune button — it’ll only make things worse.
Your box could end up locking onto dodgy signals from miles away instead of your local transmitter.
Then, once the weather clears and those distant signals vanish, you’ll be left with nothing but static and frustration.
There’s not much you can do except sit tight until the high pressure passes — likely by Wednesday, October 15, or at a push, Thursday, October 16.
Once things settle, give your device a proper retune to get everything back to normal.
Can’t get your usual channels this week? Don’t panic. You can still catch all your favourites online.
Most main channels are available via broadband — so hop onto BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, or My5 to keep up with your shows.
You’ll also find plenty of Freeview favourites on Smart TVs and streaming gadgets like Amazon Fire TV and Roku.
And the good news? Netflix, Disney+, and Paramount+ aren’t affected — so your binge-watching plans are safe.
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