Iran begins cloud seeding to induce rain throughout worst drought in a long time

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Authorities in Iran have sprayed clouds with chemical compounds to induce rain, in an try and fight the nation's worst drought in a long time.

Referred to as cloud-seeding, the method was performed over the Urmia lake basin on Saturday, Iran's official information company Irna reported.

Urmia is Iran's largest lake, however has largely dried out leaving an enormous salt mattress. Additional operations will probably be carried out in east and west Azerbaijan, the company mentioned.

Rainfall is at document lows and reservoirs are practically empty. Final week President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that if there may be not sufficient rainfall quickly, Tehran's water provide might be rationed and other people could also be evacuated from the capital.

Cloud seeding entails injecting chemical salts together with silver or potassium iodide into clouds by way of plane or by way of mills on the bottom. Water vapour can then condense extra simply and switch into rain.

The method has been round for many years, and the UAE has used it in recent times to assist handle water shortages.

Iran's meteorological organisation mentioned rainfall had decreased by about 89% this yr in contrast with the long-term common, Irna reported.

"We're at the moment experiencing the driest autumn the nation has skilled in 50 years," it added.

Officers have additionally introduced plans to penalise households and companies that devour extreme quantities of water.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/9263/live/c4585af0-c2fb-11f0-8456-eff94716b162.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/9263/live/c4585af0-c2fb-11f0-8456-eff94716b162.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/9263/live/c4585af0-c2fb-11f0-8456-eff94716b162.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/9263/live/c4585af0-c2fb-11f0-8456-eff94716b162.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/9263/live/c4585af0-c2fb-11f0-8456-eff94716b162.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/9263/live/c4585af0-c2fb-11f0-8456-eff94716b162.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/9263/live/c4585af0-c2fb-11f0-8456-eff94716b162.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/9263/live/c4585af0-c2fb-11f0-8456-eff94716b162.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="EPA/Shutterstock Women, wearing hijabs, with their backs to the camera are praying for rain in northern Tehran." class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> EPA/Shutterstock Ladies through the rainfall prayer on the Saleh Shrine in northern Tehran

The pinnacle of Iran's Nationwide Centre for Local weather and Drought Disaster Administration, Ahmad Vazifeh mentioned dams in Tehran, West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan and Markazi are in a "worrying state", with water ranges within the single-digit percentages.

On Friday, tons of gathered at a mosque in Tehran to hope for rainfall.

Iranian meteorologists reported there was some rainfall within the west and northwest of the nation on Saturday - with video exhibiting snowfall on a ski resort north of Tehran for the primary time this yr.