What is cloud seeding? Did it cause Dubai flooding? The contentious practice that could be banned in TN

The United Arab Emirates and Oman have been inundated with rain this week, almost as much as the country sees in two years. Speculation has been raised if this is cloud seeding gone awry. But what is cloud seeding?

Dessert areas, like United Arab Emirates, have dry climates that see very little rain every year. In an effort to make sure that rain occurs these drier climates, certain chemicals are added into the air to help make it rain, also known as cloud seeding. While some see this venture to bring rain to arid climates a good thing, others aimed to ban the practice including Tennessee.

Here’s a look at what cloud seeding is and how it is used.

What is cloud seeding?

Cloud seeding is when clouds are injected with a compound, like silver iodide, that act as condensation or ice nuclei in an attempt to to help stimulate and boost rainfall or snowfall, according to Britannica. The compounds help to mimic the natural tiny particles, like dust and dirt, that are typically the driving force for clouds to condense and let go of moisture.

The practice is usually done several ways. Seeding technologies used in the UAE essentially zap clouds with electricity or use salt flares to artificially boost rain. Others use an aerial blanketing of a compound to help stimulate a clouds condensation.

Tennessee’s ‘chemtrails’ ban includes cloud seeding

At the beginning of April, Tenn. lawmakers moved forward a controversial bill codifying a ban on “chemtrails,” a widely debunked conspiracy theory that the federal government is spreading chemicals for nefarious reasons, to Gov. Bill Lee to be signed into law.

The bill, HB 2063/SB 2691, bans the “intentional injection, release, or dispersion” of chemicals within Tennessee “with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of the sunlight is prohibited.”

If Lee signs the bill into law, the language used in it would include the process of cloud seeding.

Do states in the U.S. have cloud seeding programs?

Yes.

The process of cloud seeding has been used in weather and precipitation management since the 1940s, particularly in the American West during drought conditions.

According to the Desert Research Institute, Nevada and California both have cloud seeding operations in the works.

How much rain fell in Dubai?

In a typical year, Dubai sees an average of 3.73 inches of rain, reports the Associated Press.

On Tuesday, a torrential downpour brought 5.59 inches of rainfall.

Dubai flooding: Cloud seeding gone wrong?

The UAE is located in one of the hottest and driest regions on Earth and leads the effort to seed clouds and increase precipitation for the region.

UAE’s meteorology agency stated that there were no cloud seeding operations before the storm, according to a report from Reuters.

Climate scientists state rising global temperatures driven by man-made climate change, are leading to extreme weather events, like the intense rainfall in the UAE storm, reports USA TODAY.