The UAE is launching a month-long cloud-seeding mission, aiming to boost rainfall in desert regions. The campaign, which will commence next week from Al Ain International Airport, is organized by the National Center of Meteorology (NCM).
The mission will continue until the end of September and aims to cross-examine the effectiveness of various cloud seeding materials. Researchers and pilots involved in the project will also investigate the effects of electrically charging these materials to improve rainfall efficiency.
Advanced instruments and sensors will be mounted on the NCM’s seeding aircraft and the SPEC Learjet for data collection. This data will be crucial in determining how cloud seeding can be more efficient and effective in the future.
Earlier this month, a top NCM official told Khaleej Times that the UAE has already conducted 22 cloud seeding missions since June. These missions contributed to several instances of rain across various parts of the country.
Cloud-seeding technology has been utilized in the UAE since the late 1990s. It involves identifying convective clouds that are ideal for rain generation and injecting them with salt flares to stimulate precipitation.
