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MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Philippine air Force (PAF) had a successful cloud seeding operation over parts of Northern Luzon over the weekend in a bid to stem the effects of El Ni帽o there.
A PAF鈥� Piper Navajo aircraft scattered sodium chloride on cloud formations 4,500 feet above the ground on targeted areas, according to Rose Mary听 Aquino, officer-in-charge of the Department of Agriculture 鈥� Cagayan Valley regional office.
Sky and cloud spotters stationed in Iguig, Enrile, and Tuguegarao City, in Cagayan; Sto Tomas, Sta. Maria, Ilagan, Benito Soliven in Isabela and Villaros and Bagabag in Nueva Vizcaya province reported rainfall in the area on Feb. 25.听
鈥淭his can cushion the initial impact of El Nino,鈥� Aquino said in a statement.
鈥淐rops really need the precipitation and the cooling effect of the rain.鈥�
Aquino said the cloud seeding operations began in the area on Feb 24, while clouds appeared only the day after.
Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that improves a cloud鈥檚 ability to produce rain by introducing tiny nuclei 鈥� sodium chloride in this case 鈥� into certain types of subfreezing low clouds, providing a base for the rains.
The country is still under the effects of El Ni帽o or the weather phenomenon which increases the prospect of below-normal rainfall conditions that could bring negative impacts such as 鈥渄ry spells鈥� or droughts in some parts of the country until the first quarter of 2024, according to state meteorologists.
As of Tuesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said agricultural damage due to El Ni帽o stands at P810,711,612.