Cloud seeding - will it work

[Grant]

With the Olympics on the way China has been trying to find ways to cloud seed - not just because they need rain - but also to remove it from clouds to prevent rain ruining the opening of the Olympics. In fact, they've guaranteed fine weather for that historic day!

Spending 50 million US dollars a year as part of their "weather modification project". The project covers drought affected areas but also covers Beijing. The Chinese Government fires rockets into the sky and they believe they're achieving more rainfall leading to neighbouring countries to accuse them of "stealing rain". Of course rockets aren't the safest form of doing this and a number have gone off target and slammed into houses... and people.

There's another reason why the Chinese may be eager to guaranteed fine weather for the Olympics. August is their wet month with plenty of summer induced rain and the opening ceremony will be in an uncovered stadium. The plan is that the 50 million dollar a year research will mean that if rain clouds start to build before the ceremony then they'll fire rockets up and prematurely make the rain fall out of them - leaving the clouds rain-free by the start of the ceremony.

The idea is not new. MetService said back in the 1860s trials were conducted where cannons were used to shoot clouds in the hopes it would alter rainfall. While, in the 1970s the New Zealand Government dropped silver iodide from planes over Marlborough in the hopes they could create rain to ease droughts.

So will cloud seeding work?

Original article: Cloud seeding: Can humans really make it rain? - 11 Jun 2008 - Weather Watch - NZ Herald Blog