China Manipulated the Weather to Bring On Rainfall

A recent research paper has revealed that Chinese authorities tasked with weather forecasting modified the weather through a technique dubbed cloud seeding prior to a large-scale celebration.

The government in Beijing is known to be an undaunted advocate of cloud seeding technology, for which about 35,000 people were employed, according to The Guardian. Why China uses this technology is that the country aims to alleviate droughts and have clear skies ahead of major events.

The latest development in the country comes as the Communist Party celebrated its centenary with thousands of people attending the ceremony hold in Tiananmen Square on 1 July. Just a few hours before the event, a cloud seeding operation was conducted to ensure low air pollution and bring on rainfall over some parts of Beijing, according to Tsinghua University’s research.

Scientists involved in the research paper predicted that artificial rain contributed to decreasing the level of air pollutant PM2.5 by over two-thirds increasing the air quality from “moderate” to “good” based on World Health Organization standards.

Residents in nearby regions where the two-hour cloud seeding technique was conducted said that they saw rockets shot into the air carrying silver iodine to stimulate rainfall on 30 June, a day before the event. But this method did not work well, reports South China Morning Post.

Cloud seeding technique. Wikipedia

Most industrial activities such as factories and trucks had been halted; however, the pollution hadn’t dissipated due to low air circulation. Since 2008, Chinese weather forecasting authorities have been attempting to change the weather ahead of crucial organizations.

What is cloud seeding?

Known as a weather modification technique, cloud seeding includes small particles of silver iodide being added to clouds to encourage them to produce rain. Following the process, precipitation in the clouds falls back to the Earth’s surface. Cloud seeding can be conducted both through ground-based generators and aircraft.

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DEEP DIVE: How cloud seeding makes it rain artificially