China Uses Big Guns to Control Weather.




Photo: Calum MacLeod

Rain during the 2008 Beijing Olympics? Heaven forbid! Well, not wanting to leave it to chance, the Chinese government is taking proactive steps to control the weather!

When he’s not tending cherry orchards outside Beijing, Yu Yonggang can be found behind the twin barrels of a 37mm anti-aircraft gun, blasting shells at passing clouds. …

Now Yu and the other rainmakers face their toughest challenge: making sure it stays dry for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The idea is for the peasant gunners to work with meteorologists watching radar in the capital. Together, they will hunt pregnant rain clouds and pound them with rockets containing silver iodide. The hope is that any moisture will fall before the clouds can threaten the parade of athletes and lighting of the Olympic flame at the new National Stadium.

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Posted on June 30, 2006 at 1:03 am by Alex
Category: 1 Other Neat Things

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2 comments to "China Uses Big Guns to Control Weather."

  • XuYu
    July 1st, 2006 at 2:22 am

    Anyone remember the spinach farmer with the hail cannon from last month? Maybe we could get these guys together and see what happens!

  • Jack Carnahan
    July 2nd, 2006 at 2:16 pm

    They’ll use the same method to keep Tibetan protesters away from the stadium.

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