Rainfall Follows Successful Cloud Seeding In Perak - Arthur

PUTRAJAYA, April 9 (Bernama) -- The cloud seeding operation in Perak yesterday was deemed successful, with the state recording rainfall between 29.3mm and 84.8mm, said Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup.

He said rain began falling at around 3.30 pm yesterday in the target areas, the catchment zones of Bukit Merah and Temenggor dams.

“This success shows that cloud seeding works effectively under the right atmospheric conditions. Overall, the rainfall covered the main catchment areas of both critical dams,” he said in a Facebook post today.

He said the operation reflects the ministry’s ongoing commitment, through the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) and in close collaboration with the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), to address declining water levels in catchment areas due to dry weather.

In a separate statement, MetMalaysia said that during the operation, meteorological analysis detected highly active convective and towering cumulus clouds over the target areas.

The operation’s success was also aided by high atmospheric moisture and unstable conditions, which helped clouds develop more efficiently and increased rainfall after seeding.

Cloud seeding started at Bukit Merah Dam at 2.45 pm and at Temenggor Dam at 3.05 pm, using a RMAF C130 Hercules aircraft to spray a salt solution into towering cumulus clouds at altitudes of 5,200 to 7,000 feet.

-- BERNAMA