Cloud-Making Aircraft Probably Didn’t Cause Dubai’s Record Flooding

Scientists are developing all kinds of wild tech to try and change our climate, including carbon capture machines to suck CO2 out of the atmosphere and special chemicals that can create rain clouds in places susceptible to drought. Now, those very creations are being blamed for record-breaking flooding in the Middle East, but experts say the flooding is much worse than they could ever cause.

Cloud seeding is the practice of sending small aircraft high into the sky to disperse specially-developed chemicals that can encourage the formation of rain clouds. Such practices are coming in areas susceptible to drought in an attempt to return water to the land and save crops and people.

Now, keyboard warriors around the world are claiming this practice was to blame for record flooding in Dubai and Oman, which saw more than 10 inches of rain fall on the region in less than 24 hours.

They think this because the United Arab Emirates frequently turns to cloud seeding to alter its weather, ABC News in Australia reports. In fact, “six or seven” cloud-seeding flights were reported in the build up to the storms, as ABC News explains: