The China Meteorological Administration has launched an artificial rain initiative in Sichuan province, which has been hit by a record drought. National Central Television (ＣＣＴＶ) reported that large-scaledroneTwo aircraft started flying.
The two aircraft will continue to artificially increase rainfall by spraying silver iodide and other chemicals on rain clouds over an area of 6,000 square kilometers until the 29th.
Artificial rain rocket launched in Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province (May 2021)
Photographer: Zhang Haiqiang/VCG/Getty Images
Sichuan Province and Chongqing City implemented rolling blackouts to curb the power supply to factories and the general public. The drought had greatly reduced the capacity of hydroelectric power generation, while the intense heat had increased the demand for electricity for air conditioners and other equipment.
Temperatures in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, are expected to drop to 31 degrees Celsius on Sunday. Some 30,000 people were forced to evacuate, according to CCTV, after heavy rain hit parts of the province on the night of the 25th.
Original title:China Deploys Rain-Seeding Drones to End Drought in Sichuan(excerpt)