In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), summer is one of the harshest times of the year when temperatures can often reach 48 degrees Celsius. To combat the hot, dry desert climate, scientists here have come up with a method of "calling for rain".
Summer is the harshest time of year in the UAE.
Specifically, Dubai deployed drones to fly towards the clouds and generate electricity. In this way, the clouds will gather, turn into thunderstorms and then pour rain down on the desert city.
Dubai uses drones to create rain.
The method is part of a $15 million project in the UAE to increase the country's annual rainfall. It was developed by experts at the University of Reading in the UK.
Professor Maarten Ambaum, one of the project's participants, said the UAE has enough clouds to produce rain. "You just need to stimulate the water droplets in the clouds to come together, and when they get big enough they start to fall, creating rain," Professor Ambaum explained to the BBC.
The UAE is also looking to conserve rainwater rather than letting it evaporate naturally. The country currently has 130 reservoirs with a capacity of up to 120 million cubic meters.
The country is working to build more rainwater reservoirs, said Abdulla al-Mandoos, director of the National Science Center.
“We don't want to waste even a drop of water,” Mr. Mandoos shared.
