Government Conducts Cloud-Seeding Over Perlis and Kedah to Counter Dry Weather and Support Dam Levels

SUBANG JAYA, Sept 3 — The government has executed a targeted cloud-seeding operation over Perlis and Kedah as an early intervention to mitigate dry weather, low rainfall, and deteriorating air quality risks across northern water catchment areas.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) stated that the operation aimed to induce rainfall over strategic locations to replenish and maintain water levels at major dams, ensuring an uninterrupted water supply for both domestic and agricultural sectors during the ongoing dry spell.

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) Secretary-General Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin joined the flight from the Subang Air Base to observe the operational workflows, technical requirements, and flight conditions firsthand. The targeted catchment zones included the Timah Tasoh Dam in Perlis, as well as the Ahning, Pedu, Muda, and Beris dams in Kedah.

The mission utilized a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) C-130H aircraft from No. 20 Squadron, equipped with four specialized tanks. Preparation began at 8:00 am, with each tank loaded with a solution combining 200 kilogrammes of sodium chloride (NaCl) and 1,500 litres of water before the aircraft took off at 12:30 pm.

Led by RMAF Mission Commander Maj Mohammad Syaaban Zainal Abidin alongside pilot Maj Mohamad Saifullah Mohamad, the aircraft conducted spraying maneuvers at altitudes between 5,000 and 9,000 feet based on cloud suitability. Seeding commenced over the Timah Tasoh Dam before moving to Kedah; however, seeding was bypassed at the Ahning Dam due to insufficient cloud formations before the three-hour operation concluded at 3:30 pm.

MetMalaysia noted that cloud-seeding operations conducted across multiple states this year—including Perlis, Kedah, Perak, Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Sarawak, and Sabah—have maintained a 90 per cent success rate in generating rainfall over target catchments. The inter-agency effort was executed in strategic collaboration with the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) and the RMAF, with further operations being evaluated as a continuing mitigation measure against El Niño and haze risks.

-NMT