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In this digital era, many people rely on their cell phones for voice communication and sending or receiving messages and emails. Yet, they do not take the time to understand how this device works, especially what determines the quality of the network connections.

The science behind signal strength and weakness is the ability of the mobile phone to communicate with the cell tower. Several factors, such as atmospheric conditions, the distance of the cell from the tower, and physical obstruction, can influence the strength and quality of the cell signal.

For people to enjoy interrupted communication, they need to have a clear signal regardless of where they are. This article will discuss how thunderstorms affect cell signal reception and what people can do about it.

Rainfall

It is common for people to experience weak signals when it is raining. Rain attenuates cell signals by absorbing and scattering the radio waves used for communication. As a result, many people during heavy downpours experience poor reception and, in extreme cases, dropped calls.

It is important to understand that the intensity and duration of rainfall can also significantly affect the extent of signal degradation. For instance, if the rain is light, then it will cause minimum disruption. On the other hand, if there is a heavy downpour, the chances are that this will significantly weaken the signals.

The other reason for experiencing cell signal transmission issues during the rainy season is the density and composition of the clouds. Unknown to many, thick, moisture-laden clothes are more effective at blocking radio waves, leading to cell service issues.

Homeowners can prepare for a storm by getting a Home Signal Booster. The booster amplifies the weak signals from the cell tower, capturing the faint signals and strengthening them in the house, which helps ensure better call quality and more reliable connectivity.

Lightning

Storms affect cell service, while lightning makes matters worse. That’s because it produces electromagnetic interference (EMI) that disrupts signal transmission. That’s why people are likely to experience signal loss or degradation when there are thunderstorms.

The extent and impact of the EMI on the cell signals depend on the proximity of the lightning strike to the cell tower. The closer the strike is to the tower, the stronger the electromagnetic field and the more severe the signal interruption.

It is also important to understand that lightning can strike cell towers and damage them. When this happens, they can experience short-term connectivity issues even after the rain reduces in intensity or stops. Therefore, users should know that it is possible to experience issues with their cell service even after the rain stops.

Homeowners can make use of Faraday cages to help maintain the cell signal during lightning and EMI interference. These cages help to shield electronic devices and mobile phones from the external electric fields. This helps to keep their devices from the disruptive effects of electromagnetic pulses.

Winds

During thunderstorms, the area affected experiences high winds. These winds are known to be damaging and dangerous. They can damage cell signal reception by physically moving or damaging the cell tower components and antennas.

The cell provider must do a lot of calculations when installing the antennas to ensure their clients enjoy efficient signal transmission. A slight move or shift of these components could cause severe disruption of the cellular network operations. Therefore, winds can contribute to poor cell networks during thunderstorms.

When considering the wind and its effect on tower components and antennas, the cell provider should install robust infrastructure that can withstand strong winds. Similarly, homeowners should secure their satellite dishes and antennas, which will help ensure they do not get damaged or misaligned by the winds.

Atmospheric Pressure

When thunderstorms strike, they create areas with low and high pressure. These changes can affect the density of the air and the transmission of cell signals. In addition, the effect of how radio waves travel leads to signal disruption and reduced strength.

However, atmospheric pressure problems will occur in rural areas with fewer cell towers. That’s because, with fewer towers, signals have to travel long distances, making them susceptible to destruction during atmospheric variation. As a result, most people struggle with communication due to thunderstorms.

The cell phone service provider is responsible for offering the best services to clients. This means those who provide cell services to people in rural areas prone to thunderstorms should install more cell towers to ensure reliable signal transmission during this harsh weather.

Storm

A long-lasting thunderstorm could sometimes cause cell signal disruption due to a cumulative impact on signal quality and reliability. This could lead to issues such as interrupted power supply. If the cell towers do not have power, they cannot transmit the signal service to their clients.

Therefore, the clients must wait for the power to get the signal. Depending on the severity of the storm, this could take days. People relying on this cell signal will not communicate until the power returns.

Homeowners can handle this by ensuring they keep their devices charged before a storm and enabling Wi-Fi calling on their mobile devices. This ensures homeowners can use their home’s internet connection to communicate if the cell tower power is interrupted. This solution ensures they are reachable during a thunderstorm and can seek help when necessary.

Geographical Factors

Very few people are concerned about the geographical location or features that surround their home. Yet these features can affect the signal reception, especially during thunderstorms. For instance, people living in mountainous terrains are likely to experience signal disruption when there is a thunderstorm because of the physical barrier that the mountain already creates.

Water bodies are the other physical feature likely to increase the effect of thunderstorms on signal service. A water body can affect signal propagation since water is known to absorb and reflect radio waves. Therefore, people living in such regions should be prepared to deal with low signal reception in their cells during a thunderstorm.

Individuals living in mountainous regions or near waterbodies can mitigate the loss of cell signals by getting backup communications methods. For instance, they can have landlines or battery-powered radios that they can use to communicate in case a thunderstorm disrupts their cell signal.

Thunderstorms can affect cell signal reception in various ways. By understanding these effects, homeowners can better prepare to deal with signal disruption in adverse weather conditions. That way, they will still be able to communicate during the storm.