Did cloud seeding cause Dubai flooding? What to know about the science

The United Arab Emirates capital of Dubai remains flooded after a deluge of rain fell earlier in the week.

Several unconfirmed reports suggest cloud seeding could have played a role in the flooding. Cloud seeding is when we infuse clouds with a substance like silver iodide, by spraying particles from a drone or airplane, or projecting them from a cannon.

“(Water will) start condensing or freezing on to that silver iodide particle and then basically build ice up,” explains Rachel Chang, Canada Research Chair in Atmospheric Science. The ice crystals grow rapidly until they’re large enough to fall as snow, or if the temperature is warm enough, they’ll turn to rain.

Cloud seeding became popular in the United States in the 1960s and now, dozens of countries, including Canada, use the method to sometimes fight forest fires or drought, create snow or to limit the size of potentially damaging hail.”

Global's Nathaniel Dove explains the process and whether experts believe it could have played a role in Dubai’s record rainfall.

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