Freak UAE rain showers manmade

ARTIFICIAL RAIN: The unseasonably bad weather the UAE experienced could have been manmade. (Getty Images)

Many UAE motorists making their way home on Tuesday would have put the dark skies and light rain down to just a freak occurrence, but in fact the unseasonably bad weather could have been manmade as scientists were carrying out tests to induce artificial rain.

The Meteorological Department at the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) used aircraft to sprinkle cloud seeding salts in moist clouds heading towards Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain, reported state news agency Wam.

The monitoring stations subsequently registered light to medium rainfalls in different areas of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Wam said.

Motorists could be in for more bad weather as scientists planning to repeat the tests again on Wednesday, according to the news agency.

Print | Email | Discuss this article

| Share |

READERS' COMMENTS

GooD
Posted by abubaker, abudhabi, uae on Sunday 29 March 2009 at 08:54 UAE time


I hope those scientist do more tests here in uae especially abudhabi, as rain is something that rarely happens. I was delighted to see the rain as it cooled the rather hot and humid abudhabi. Although the wind on wednesday was somehow freaky and very unusual.
I also heared that this weather was from saudi arabia applying their weather system.

Artificial Rain
Posted by Emron Llah, Dubai, UAE on Saturday 10 May 2008 at 11:15 UAE time

What chemical was used? Many years ago the Russians did the same thing using silver chloride. It worked but the chemical is toxic and was stopped (except over unpopulated areas, eg forests and deserts).

Yesterday: it was scary to learn from a friend this was an artificial rain…
Posted by Joanna Pogulis, Dubai, UAE on Saturday 10 May 2008 at 06:48 UAE time

Since I have seen the movie: The Avengers (1998) I have been fascinated with ‘making weather’. When last week just before leaving for work around 8am heard thunders and then seen lightning (Dubai), looked through the windows to see very strange dark clouds as we see them in Johannesburg just before a thunder storm (Johannesburg has lots of metal in the ground causing it to be a city with most lightning).

The Dubai rain however was not that strong but what made me scared is a very powerful wind out of nowhere which I did not see in Dubai yet (living here last 3 years), just as if beginning of cyclone (you should have seen the garden/park for those few seconds).

I do understand that the region is desperate for rain however God and Mother Nature have created a balance via million/billion of years and playing God is not healthy and am convinced that if we do one thing we unbalance another.

I personally am not worried about motorists as people will have to learn and quickly, what concerns more is Mother Nature's retaliation.

man made rain
Posted by sajjad ali, dubai, uae on Thursday 8 May 2008 at 14:15 UAE time


how thender lighting and wind came in this rain.

View all comments (13) >>

Click here to post a comment

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Enter the words above *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM