Over the past two days, parts of the UAE experienced heavy to moderate rainfall , a welcome surprise as the country launched a new cloud-seeding campaign. The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) reported significant rainfall in areas including Al Ain , Ras Al Khaimah, and Sharjah. The campaign, named ‘Cloud-Aerosol-Electrical Interactions for Rainfall Enhancement Experiment (CLOUDIX),’ is taking place at Al Ain International Airport in collaboration with US-based cloud physics research company Stratton Park Engineering Company (SPEC). This month-long initiative aims to study various cloud-seeding materials and their effectiveness, with and without an electric charge. Coordinated flight missions will cover UAE airspace and parts of Oman, contributing to increased rainfall and amplifying cloud-seeding efforts, according to the NCM.

Cloud seeding has been a successful method in the UAE for nearly two decades, increasing rainfall by up to 25%, although it doesn’t create rain itself. The UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science, managed by the NCM, seeks to bolster global water security by identifying scientifically proven methods to enhance precipitation, benefiting not only the UAE but also arid regions in the surrounding area. Recent studies have even explored the potential use of drones to release electrical charges into clouds, showing promise in making cloud-seeding operations more effective.