Dubai's "rain-summoning" technique

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), summer is one of the harshest times of the year, with temperatures often reaching 48 degrees Celsius. To combat the hot, dry desert climate, scientists there have devised a method of "rainmaking."

Specifically, Dubai deploys drones that fly towards the cloud layers and generate electricity. This causes the clouds to gather, forming thunderstorms that then bring rain down on the desert city.

This method is part of a $15 million project in the UAE aimed at increasing the country's annual rainfall. The method was developed by experts from the University of Reading (UK).

Professor Maarten Ambaum, one of the project participants, said the UAE has enough clouds to create rain. "All you need to do is stimulate the water droplets in the clouds to clump together; when they're large enough, they'll start falling, creating rain," Professor Ambaum explained to the BBC.

The UAE is also seeking ways to conserve rainwater instead of letting it evaporate naturally. Currently, the country has 130 reservoirs with a total capacity of up to 120 million cubic meters.

Abdulla al-Mandoos, director of the National Science Center, said the country is studying the possibility of building more rainwater reservoirs.

"We don't want to waste even a single drop of water," Mandoos shared.

Bo Di