Explained: How the UAE creates artificial rain, linked to Dubai’s weather chaos

Despite the potential benefits of cloud seeding, concerns remain about its impact.

New Delhi:

Dubai, known for its dry climate and high temperatures, was hit by torrential rains on Tuesday, triggering widespread flooding across the desert country. The sudden downpour not only disrupted the bustling city’s normal rhythm, but also raised concerns about the escalating impact of climate change on extreme weather phenomena in the region.

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the average annual rainfall is less than 200 mm. With summer temperatures reaching as high as 50 degrees Celsius, the UAE faces tremendous pressure on water resources and relies heavily on groundwater sources.

To address this pressing issue, the UAE has pioneered innovative solutions, one of which is cloud seeding through cloud seeding, a form of artificial weather modification designed to increase precipitation. But how does it work?

Learn about cloud seeding

Cloud seeding is a technique that introduces “seeding agents” into clouds to stimulate the condensation process and trigger rainfall. The process begins with NCM’s weather forecasters monitoring atmospheric conditions and identifying suitable clouds for seeding based on precipitation patterns.

The UAE first experimented with artificial rainfall in 1982. By the early 2000s, the Gulf state’s artificial rainfall program was supported by partnerships with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Colorado, the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, and NASA.

The UAE Rainfall Enhancement Program (UAEREP), managed by the UAE National Center of Meteorology (NCM), is spearheading the programme.

The scientists behind the program focus on analyzing the physical and chemical characteristics of the UAE’s atmosphere, particularly aerosols and pollutants, and their impact on cloud formation. The aim is to find an effective substance that stimulates cloud growth and ultimately increases rainfall.

Once favorable cloud cover is found, specialized aircraft equipped with moisture-absorbing flares are launched. These flares, mounted on aircraft wings, contain salt material. Once it reaches the target cloud, the flare deploys, releasing the seeding agent into the cloud.

The salt particles act as nuclei around which water droplets condense, eventually becoming heavy enough to fall as rain.

“NCM has established a national network of 86 Automatic Weather Stations (AWOS) for weather monitoring, 6 weather radars and 1 upper-altitude station covering the entire UAE. The center also creates climate databases and assists in the development of high-altitude Precision Numerical Simulation System. Weather forecasting and simulation software in the UAE,” UAEREP wrote in a description of the process.

“Currently, NCM operates four Beechcraft King Air C90 aircraft at Al Ain Airport, equipped with the latest technology and equipment for cloud seeding and atmospheric research.”

Environmental issues

Despite the potential benefits of cloud seeding, concerns have been raised about its environmental impact and the safety of the seeding agents used. In response, NCM has taken steps to ensure the safety and sustainability of its operations.

Unlike some other countries’ artificial rain programs that use silver iodide, a crystalline material that has caused environmental concerns, the UAE’s program does not use harmful chemicals. Instead, it uses natural salt as a seeding agent.

NCM developed its own seeding agent, called nanomaterials, which consist of fine salts coated with titanium oxide.The material is currently undergoing trials and experiments to evaluate its effectiveness in enhancing precipitation

There are naturally other concerns about “tinkering.” As the region experiences exceptional weather conditions such as storms and heavy rainfall, causing unprecedented flooding, some have warned against interfering with the natural order, claiming flooding is nature’s way of “fighting back.”