Malaysia to induce rain

Malaysia to induce rain

MALAYSIA: Authorities hope to induce rain soon over the Malaysian capital, which is shrouded in a thick smoky haze amid a dry spell that has sparked forest fires, news reports said on Sunday.

The Meteorological Services Department plans to start cloud- seeding over the next week to help clear the air over Kuala Lumpur, The Star newspaper reported.

Cloud-seeding is the process of using aircraft to spray sodium chloride into cumulus clouds, causing water droplets to condense and form raindrops.

Officials said air quality in Kuala Lumpur and other cities in western peninsular Malaysia had deteriorated to unhealthy levels because of dozens of forest fires that are raging on the coast.

The fires have been sparked by a hot, dry spell in Malaysia and neighboring countries that has lasted for one month. The dry weather is expected to last until the end of March.

Visibility near Kuala Lumpur's international airport on Saturday dropped to as low as one kilometer, compared to the usual visibility of 10 kilometers, the New Sunday Times reported. No flight disruptions have occurred due to the low visibility. -- DPA