To celebrate the Republic of China's 60th anniversary, a huge party was planned. A huge effort was also undertaken to scientifically make sure no bad weather would spoil the event.
"While meteorologists in much of the world are simply charged with forecasting rain or shine, Mr. Guo and his colleagues at the Beijing Municipal Meteorological Station were also responsible for making sure the weather is of the crowd-pleasing variety. 'If we make a mistake with our work, the impact will be huge,' Mr. Guo, a soft spoken scientist, told a news conference this week. 'We are under a lot of pressure.'
Meteorologists said their efforts to prevent foul weather on Oct. 1 involved satellites, 400 scientists, cloud-probing lasers and a squadron of transport planes capable of sprinkling liquid nitrogen into pregnant clouds. 'It is the first time in Chinese history that artificial weather modification on such a large scale has been attempted,' Cui Lianqing, an air force meteorologist, told Global Times newspaper last week."
The scientists managed to induce rainfall the night before the event to ensure dry skies during the celebration.
Read the full story: China Hopes, and Tries, for Rain-Free Festivities
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