The UAE has been active in cloud seeding operations this year…

While we’re used to the odd rain shower and occasional thunder storm during the UAE winter, but this year it feels like we’ve had a lot more rain, hail and thunderstorms later into the year.

On Sunday evening, extreme weather lashed the UAE with heavy rain, thunder and lightening, with striking snaps captured of the dramatic weather by residents across Dubai.

But why is it raining so much?

Well, the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science has taken to Twitter to explain that the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has been active in cloud seeding operations over the last few days.

The cloud seeding took place “due to the accumulation of the abundant convective clouds over the UAE in several areas (specifically in the Eastern & Southern terrains)”, according to the Tweet.

What is cloud seeding?

It’s a process where special planes fitted with flares inject clouds with magnesium, sodium chloride and potassium chloride so they produce rain.

The process doesn’t create the clouds, however – they need to exist in the first place. The areas in the UAE with the greatest chance of clouds (and therefore cloud seeding success) are located close to the mountains and the Oman Sea.

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