To beat the heat, Scientistsin United Arab Emirates (UAE) are using new drone technology to zap clouds withelectricity, in an attempt to bring increased rainfall to the desertcountry.
The country - one ofthe most arid on Earth - is currently grappling with a heatwave that regularlysees residents roast in temperatures of 50C.
Its National Centerof Meteorology has as a result started trialing using the drone technology,which unleashes electrical charges into clouds.
Such method, known ascloud-seeding, prompts the clouds to clump together and form precipitation.
Recently, they did atrial run of the same. 'Official UAE Weather's Instagram page shared a video ofthe cars driving through in Dubai amidst the downpour that has brought reliefto the city-dwellers.
A few months ago,while talking about the technology, Alya Al-Mazroui, director of the UAE'srain-enhancement science-research program, told in an interview, “Equipped witha payload of electric-charge emission instruments and customised sensors, thesedrones will fly at low altitudes and deliver an electric charge to airmolecules, which should encourage precipitation.”
Dubai was the firstcity on the list for the drones to be trialled. The operation was declaredsuccessful as the technology created heavy downpour in the city. Other citiesof UAE also reported rainfall on July 15. The success of the technology comesafter 2017 when the UAE invested $15 million across nine different rain-makingprojects.
However, somearguments are raised against such downpour. The rains became extremely heavy at times that also raisedquestions about the technology and its disadvantages.