KHON KAEN: The royal rainmaking operation centre of the Northeast plans to spray silver iodide to turn balls of hail into rain, reducing the impact from hailstorms predicted to hit the upper Northeast region from April 24, said centre director Wassana Wongrat on Sunday.
Ms Wassana said the Meteorologihcal Centre of the Upper Northeast has predicted that summer storms will hit many parts of the upper Northeast region on April 24-25. Summer storms are sometimes accompanied by hail, which can damage property and farmland.
The centre has issued a warning on a LINE application for people and agencies concerned to be prepared for possible damage from the hail.
The centre plans to fly Super King Air's aircraft, which are based in Phitsanulok, to areas in the Northeast expected to be hit by hailstorms. The planes will spray silver iodide to melt balls of ice into rain, mitigating the damage.
However, not all areas to be affected by hailstorms can be covered due to the limited number of aircraft, said Ms Wassana. Therefore, the Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation Department has issued a warning for people to be prepared for possible damage from the new round of summer storms.