UAE conducts 95 cloud-seeding missions in first quarter

The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has revealed that 95 cloud seeding operations were carried out in the first three months of the year.

They added that 2,171 flares were released into potentially rain-bearing clouds as part of its ambitious rain enhancement programme.

The UAE has an average yearly rainfall of 100 millimetres, which places it among the world’s most water-stressed countries.

Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, Director of NCM, said, "The UAE has been a forerunner in adopting rain enhancement technologies in the region."

He explained how the NCM uses a sophisticated network of radars to monitor the country’s atmosphere and provide data on clouds. A team of pilots and technicians analyse this data, and carry out the operations if they detect 'seedable' clouds.