What is cloud seeding?
Cloud seeding in Dubai is the talk of the town after the heavy rainfall in the UAE. Cloud seeding is a technique scientists and experts use to draw more rain or snow out of a cloud. Basically, it changes the amount or type of precipitation by introducing tiny ice nuclei into certain subfreezing clouds.
process of cloud seeding
Tiny particles of silver iodide crystals are implanted into clouds. Firstly, scientists identify suitable clouds according to the location of the targeted area and then sprinkle the particles from a plane. Secondly, the clouds become heavy enough with droplets and fall to the earth as rain or snow. Chemicals used in cloud seeding are silver iodide, dry ice, and potassium iodide with table salt.
Methods
There are two methods of cloud seeding.
- Using cannons to shoot particles into the sky
- Using airplanes to drop the particles from above
History
An American chemist and metrologist, Vincent J. Schaefer, conducted the first experiment with cloud seeding in July 1946. So America is the first country in the world to use this technique for the first time. Afterward, different countries start using cloud seeding for different purposes, e.g., addressing water shortages and weather modification.
Typically, cloud seeding costs depend upon certain factors, like the method used for cloud seeding, the size of the area, and the type of seeding agent. Not only do the government and water departments or agencies fund it, but some private companies also fund it for this purpose. Overall, cloud seeding is expensive because, according to available information, cloud seeding in the UAE costs about $5,000 for a four-hour operation.
Cloud Seeding Companies
Here is a list of some cloud-seeding companies around the world.
- Snowy Hydro Limited
- RHS Consulting Limited
- Seeding Operations and Atmospheric Research (SOAR)
- North American Weather Consultants, Inc.
Negative Effects of Cloud Seeding
Can cloud seeding cause storms? Can cloud seeding hurt us? Why is cloud seeding important? These questions are debatable and have been a topic of debate among scientists. Certainly, this technique helps in many ways, like addressing the shortage of water, preventing famine, and reducing air pollution. Although this may be true, cloud seeding has some negative effects.
- Indeed, this technique is expensive and consumes a lot of resources.
- Silver iodide used in cloud seeding may be toxic and cause other health issues. For example, skin irritation and respiratory problems.
- Cloud seeding can cause heavy rain, floods, earthquakes, and other natural disasters.
Cloud Seeding in UAE
The UAE has been facing water challenges due to its dry climate. It is one of the first countries in the Arabian Gulf to use cloud seeding technology. This country has a dry climate and is facing a water shortage so using cloud seeding in Dubai is inevitable. However, some scientists claim that cloud seeding may change the anthropogenic climate.
Cloud Seeding in Dubai
On April 16th, 2024, Dubai was inundated with water after heavy rain, resulting in a flood that damaged many buildings and areas. Dubai Airport is also flood-prone, and it disrupted many flights. At least 21 people lost their lives in this flood and many were injured. Some experts are skeptical that this disaster results from cloud seeding, but metrologists have rejected this notion, claiming that it results from climate change.
Rumors or hypotheses about the flood in UAE
Some people link this disaster of rainfall with a religious point of view, claiming that this flood is a disaster from Allah Almighty. They say that the cloud seeding technique is contrary to the words of Allah, “He sends down the rain. (Luqman 31:34)”. Shaykh ‘Atiyyah Saqar (may Allah have mercy on him) says that cloud seeding is the process of adding some particles into clouds formed by Allah Almighty and these clouds will never cause rain without the will of Allah. Allah is also the creator of the sun and vapors, and he controls the wind that causes the formation of clouds, so it is false to say that cloud seeding is contrary to Allah’s word.
Some people spread another idea on social media after the disastrous rainfall in the UAE: that this rainfall and flood are a sign of Allah Almighty’s wrath and the approaching Day of Judgment. They refer to the inauguration and building of the first Hindu Temple of the Middle East in the UAE to support their claim. The BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi was inaugurated on February 14, 2024, and Indian PM Narendra Modi attended the inauguration ceremony. Massive videos have gone viral on social media regarding these different ideas and people have reacted differently.
Facts about Cloud Seeding in Dubai
No doubt, Allah Almighty is the creator and controller of everything. He is responsible for the movement of a leaf and the making of rain. Although it may be true that floods and rainfall in the UAE, especially in Dubai, are the result of using the cloud seeding technique, it is also a fact that all this could not be done without the will of Allah.
As I’ve mentioned Shaykh ‘Atiyyah Saqar’s saying, Allah Almighty forms the clouds used for seeding, and humans can only add some artificial substances to them to increase the possibility of rain. They cannot make it possible to rain if certain types of clouds are not formed. So it is Allah Almighty who makes it rain even after cloud seeding. In the Dubai disaster, it is evident that this may be a warning from Allah, whether it is because of cloud seeding or anything else. However, Allah knows these matters, and we humans can only guess or suppose.
FAQs
- How does cloud seeding work?
- Cloud seeding is manipulating clouds to produce more rain than usual. Silver iodide and table salt are used for this, which helps water vapors condense easily. This technique is beneficial for agriculture, power generation, and other purposes.
- How is cloud seeding done in the UAE?
- The National Center of Metrology uses different cloud seeding methods in the UAE, like aircraft-based and ground-based cloud seeding.
- Can cloud seeding cause a storm?
- Metrologists and experts say cloud seeding cannot cause a storm or flood. They agreed that floods or storms caused by cloud seeding are unlikely.
