Dubai makes it own fake rain with drones to tackle 50°C heatwave – Dubai has been drenched by heavy downpours, brought on partly by cloud-seeding initiatives that are creating ‘enhanced rain.’ The United Arab Emirates metropolis has been present process a sweltering summer time with temperatures recurrently surpassing 50C.
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In response the UAE’s Nationwide Heart of Meteorology is trialing utilizing drone expertise which unleashes electrical costs into clouds, prompting them to clump collectively and type precipitation. The NCM has shared footage of monsoon-like showers drenching roads and sparking flashes of lightning.
They are saying cloud-seeding has performed a component in creating extra rainfall in a rustic that usually solely sees 4 inches a yr, far lower than the 33 inches often seen within the UK. The Nationwide reported that the rain and robust winds minimize visibility on roads and created tough driving circumstances.
Residents have been warned that extra unsettled climate is probably going as they rejoice Eid Al Adha this week. Cloud seeding is considered one of 9 completely different rain-making initiatives getting used within the UAE since 2017. Different methods contain dropping salt or different chemical compounds into clouds to encourage precipitation.
Some research have proven that it might be able to improve rainfall by as much as 35% though different lecturers query its effectiveness. Cloud seeding has additionally been in utilized in different drought-prone international locations together with China and India. It may also be used to stop rainfall, and cease potential flooding, as seen in Jakarta, Indonesia, final yr.
Prof Maarten Ambaum, from the College of Studying, has been engaged on one of many initiatives within the UAE.
He advised the BBC earlier this yr that the UAE has sufficient clouds to create circumstances which permit for rainfall. The expertise works ‘like dry hair to a comb’ because it makes use of a drone to launch electrical costs into the clouds, which helps the water droplets to merge and stick collectively to type precipitation, he mentioned.
‘When the drops merge and are large enough, they are going to fall as rain,’ Prof Maarten Ambaum added
Planning works! #Dubai started to invest $15 million in 2017 in 9 rain making projects. So this is the result of heavy fake rain now in July to beat the heat and replenishing water sources.#climate #water #rain #tech #UAE #MiddleEast #technology pic.twitter.com/pI8geKwedH
— Shahriar Sabet (@shahriarsabet) July 21, 2021
