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With Massive Use of Airplanes, Drones, and Thousands of Ground Generators, Country Expands Weather Modification Program While Experts Question Scientific Evidence and Geopolitical Impacts
In March 2025, the sky over northern China transformed into a gigantic atmospheric laboratory. On that occasion, a fleet comprising 30 airplanes and drones released particles of silver iodide over strategic regions of the country’s grain belt. At the same time, more than 250 ground generators launched rockets with the same chemical material. The goal was clear: to artificially induce rain and alleviate the drought threatening crops in northern and northwestern Chinese territory.
The information was disclosed by “BBC Future,” according to a report by Ally Hirschlag, which detailed the scope of the so-called “Spring Rain” operation conducted by the Meteorological Administration of China.
According to Chinese authorities, the offensive reportedly generated 31 million additional tons of precipitation in 10 drought-prone regions. However, despite the impressive numbers, the scientific debate remains open and, in many cases, controversial.
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How Cloud Seeding Works and Why It Divides the Scientific Community
China has been attempting to artificially increase its rainfall since the 1950s through the technique known as cloud seeding. Basically, the method involves releasing microscopic particles, usually silver iodide, into clouds containing supercooled liquid water (between -15°C and 0°C). These particles serve as condensation nuclei, forming ice crystals that, when they become heavy enough, fall as rain or snow.
However, despite seeming simple in theory, the scientific verification is complex. As explained by Robert Rauber, a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, “we cannot make the same cloud happen twice,” which makes fully controlled experiments impossible.
Still, the Chinese intensified their efforts. Currently, the country conducts weather modifications over more than 50% of its territory. Furthermore, it established its first permanent operational base in 2013 and now has six research bases collaborating on studies.
Additionally, ambitious initiatives like the Tianhe (“river of the sky”) project aim to create a water vapor corridor from the Tibetan Plateau to arid regions of northern China through thousands of ground generators.
On the other hand, environmental and geopolitical concerns arise. Elizabeth Chalecki, a researcher at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, warns that interventions of this magnitude may impact neighboring countries, such as India, especially in regions with shared water resources.
However, an unpublished analysis based on 27,000 cloud seeding experiments conducted in China concluded that the cross-border impact would have been minimal.
Billion-Dollar Claims, Limited Evidence, and the Snowie Experiment
In December 2025, the Chinese meteorological agency stated that artificial rain and snow operations had produced 168 billion additional tons of precipitation since 2021, an amount equivalent to approximately 67 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Additionally, the government declared that the “Spring Rain” operation had increased precipitation by 20% compared to 2024.
However, scientists remain skeptical. Jeffrey French from the University of Wyoming claims that many of these assertions cannot be scientifically validated.
The study considered a global benchmark is the Snowie experiment, conducted in 2017 in the Payette Mountains of Idaho (USA). The project was able to prove, through comparative measurements between areas 1 to 2 kilometers apart, that cloud seeding produced measurable snow.
However, even Snowie demonstrated that the impact is relatively modest. Katja Friedrich from the University of Colorado explains that the effectiveness of the technique is limited and depends on very specific atmospheric conditions.
Furthermore, the technique does not work if there are no suitable clouds and is less effective in warm months when there are rarely clouds with supercooled water.
For this reason, experts like Adele L. Igel from the University of California, Davis, emphasize that although theory indicates the technique should work, it is still difficult to routinely verify its results with independent observations.
Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and the New Climate Frontier
In recent years, however, China has incorporated more advanced technologies into the process. The use of drones, sophisticated radars, and artificial intelligence has optimized the release of silver iodide.
Moreover, both China and the United Arab Emirates are experimenting with alternative methods such as flare seeding and the release of negative ions into the clouds.
Still, independent research capable of definitively proving the effectiveness of these new approaches remains scarce.
Experts fear that the global increase in droughts, driven by climate change, will accelerate the adoption of technology before there is sufficient robust scientific evidence.
Meanwhile, governments argue that time is a luxury that water-scarce regions do not possess.
Do you believe that controlling rain could be the solution to the global water crisis — or are we venturing into a climate territory that is too dangerous?
No Brasil no governo dos militares já tentaram fazer isso no nordeste para fazer chover com o iodeto de potássio mas não deu certo isso aí é um experimento antigo tudo conversa fiada não existe mágica para a natureza e meio ambiente.
No Brasil no governo dos militares já tentaram fazer isso no nordeste para fazer chover com o iodeto de potássio mas não deu certo isso aí é um experimento antigo tudo conversa fiada não existe mágica para a natureza e meio ambiente.
No Brasil já conseguiram, já conseguiram fazer chover uma boa quantidade também, há uns tempos atrás, só que, não tocaram o projeto adiante.