KOTA KINABALU: Royal Malaysian Air Force aircraft are on standby in Labuan to carry cloud-seeding in Sabah, but the weather is not being cooperative.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the absence of cumulus clouds over the state has prevented any such operation.
“We can only wait and hope for such clouds,” he said, while urging religious bodies to hold special prayer sessions for divine intervention to alleviate Sabah’s prolonged dry spell.
Cumulus clouds are suitable for cloud-seeding operations.
In the tropics, cloud-seeding is an attempt to induce rain by dispersing substances into the air that serve as points where condensation can occur.
In a related development, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau said the Meteorological Department had provided the salt solution needed for cloud-seeding.
“However, satellite imagery over the past several days has shown the absence of cumulus clouds over Sabah’s west coast districts,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Musa said firemen, with the aid of other authorities including Forest Department rangers, had been working round the clock to put out bush and forest fires.
