BRIN to Conduct Weather Modification on August 26-28

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and relevant stakeholders plan to conduct weather modification or artificial rain on August 26-28, 2023, in Jakarta to reduce air pollution. BRIN has already attempted to induce rain in Jakarta prior to this but it bore no results.

"The newest prediction from BMKG revealed a potential cloud formation on the upcoming August 26-28. We are on standby," said Budi Harsoyo, the coordinator for BRIN's weather modification lab in a brief message on Thursday, August 24, 2023.

Budi hopes the more than 70% cloud prediction in Jakarta will be consistent. "Even if the 70% cloud potential is relatively small in number, we will try to optimize our chance," he explained. 

The weather modification will be carried out on a 212-200 Casa airplane by a joint team consisting of BRIN, BMKG, the National Armed Force headquarters, and BNPB, the disaster management agency. The team will seed the cloud with 4,000 kilograms of NaCl and 800 kilograms of CaO.

Budi said the previous attempts to induce rain on August 19-21, 2023, did not bear a significant result. "We only found geographic clouds in Bogor," he said. 

The geographic clouds were then used to modify the weather in Bogor and the surrounding area. However, due to El Nino, the clouds did not contain the appropriate amount of water vapor necessary to induce rain. In addition, the convertible available potential energy was significantly low. 

Thus, the modified rain failed to spread to Jakarta and only fell in Bogor, albeit light and brief. "The most significant is on August 20 when the rain spread to Depok and South Tangerang," Budi explained.

MARIA FRANSISCA LAHUR

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