The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is launching a special month-long operation to boost rainfall in the region. This mission, organized by the National Center of Meteorology (NCM), will kick off next week from Al Ain International Airport and continue until the end of September, as reported by the Khaleej Times.
Researchers and pilots involved in the campaign will test the effectiveness of various cloud-seeding materials, both with and without an electric charge.
This will help the NCM to optimize the cloud-seeding process. Advanced instruments and sensors on the NCM seeding aircraft and the SPEC Learjet will collect the necessary data.
According to a senior NCM official, 22 cloud-seeding missions have already been carried out in the UAE since June, resulting in several instances of rain across the country.
Cloud-seeding, a technique that enhances a cloud’s ability to produce rain, has been in use in the UAE since the late 1990s. The process involves identifying convective clouds, which have a high rain-bearing capacity, and then releasing salt flares into these clouds using a special aircraft to increase rainfall.
This initiative is part of the UAE’s ongoing efforts to address water scarcity in the region and optimize the cloud-seeding process to maximize its benefits.