Cloud seeding operations in the UAE

Cloud seeding operations have been doubled in the United Arab Emirates as meteorologists try to increase rainfall.

It is believed that rainfall will enhance the country’s water and food security and help replenish groundwater supplies. In addition, the change in weather patterns should also affect the development of the tourism industry.

In 2022, the UAE conducted 311 cloud seeding missions, with aircraft spending more than 1,000 hours in the air. By comparison, in 2016 they flew just 177 sorties.

Experts from the National Centre for Meteorology had earlier said seeding could increase rainfall by around 30% in a clean atmosphere or 15% in a dusty atmosphere.

On average, the UAE receives 100 millimetres of rainfall annually. This water fills reservoirs that are used, among other things, for agricultural purposes. Experts claim that cloud seeding is 60 times cheaper than desalination.

Scientists have started creating technology that will redistribute rainfall as needed. It will be possible to move rain clouds from 50 to 100 kilometres away.

Scientists say that drought occurs when an atmospheric front moves in one direction. Typically, it moves from west to east. As it moves, the amount of water in the clouds decreases. The new technology should not just provoke the onset of rain, but should pull the clouds to an area where there is a drought or where forest fires are observed.

A team of scientists has proposed a method to solve the problem. They will use a special reagent to make clouds longer and more saturated with moisture.

The next stage is to test the effectiveness of the reagent.

Source: The National

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