AIRFORCE HELPS WRA IN JOINT CLOUD SEEDING OPERATIONS|空軍派運輸機 竹苗上空執行增雨勤務

On the morning of Feb. 24, due to the drought, the MND Air Force Command Headquarters took advantage of the southwest cloud system to help the Water Resources Agency engage in joint cloud seeding operations. Two transport planes were dispatched to the skies over Miaoli and Xinzhu to seed clouds. Simultaneously, at Shimen and Bao Er Reservoirs, the Water Resources Agency used propane gas to precipitate rain. It is hoped that the joint effort will increase rain in the catchment areas. Although it rained continuously, in fact, the majority of rain was still on non-catchment areas. MND air force planes took off from Pingtung and flew to Miaoli and Xinzhu to undertake cloud seeding operations. ==COLONEL LIN CHUI-HUI Political Warfare Dir. MND Air Force Command 439 Brigade== We took 4,000 liters of pure water, so both planes together carried 8,000 liters and we used dynamic seeding to precipitate rain. The two planes together carried 8,000 liters of water to use latent heat dynamic seeding of the southwest cloud system. The MND focused on four main areas between Shimen and Mingde Reservoirs. It estimated that it could increase precipitation by 10 percent. ==MAJOR WENG SHAO-YU MND Air Force Command 439 Brigade== Usually, the cloud system's precipitation volume is around 10 to 20 percent. When we spread the condensate catalyst it will increase precipitation by about 10 percent, it does have a significant effect. On the early morning of Feb. 24, there was light rain in Taoyuan, Xinzhu and Miaoli areas. As well as airborne cloud seeding, the Water Resources Agency used propane gas at the Shimen and Bao Er Reservoirs to cause precipitation. It used eight canisters of flame agents. Over the past few days, the cloud seeding has resulted in rain concentrated over plains areas. This was the first joint air and land operation hoping to produce more rain in catchment areas. ==CHIU CHUNG-CHUAN Dir. Northern Region Water Resources Office== On Feb. 22 there was a large rain shower of 17 milliliters at Shihmen Reservoir, on Feb. 23 there was just 0.8 milliliters. On Feb. 24 from early morning until now, there has been 2.9 milliliters of rainfall and it was all on plans areas. Currently, Shimen, Bao Shan and Mingde Reservoirs have reserves of around 50 percent. The weather front will persist until Feb. 26 and the WRA will take advantage of it to continue with cloud seeding. However, due to the limits of the cloud system, this will not be of any help to the southern water shortage. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR 空軍運輸機載著大水桶，從屏東飛到苗栗、新竹上空，水管一開，往機艙門外不斷做雲層灑水，進行暖雲增雨法。 ==空軍四三九聯隊上校政戰主任 林青輝== 飛機呢 總共一架 有4千公升的純水 兩架總共有8千公升的純水 然後使用暖雲的造雨法 兩架次，8000公升純水，配合華南雲雨系，空軍鎖定在石門水庫到明德水庫之間，進行四個主要地點的增雨，預估可以讓雲系，降雨增加10%。 ==空軍四三九聯隊少校預報長 翁少于== 通常它的降雨量 整個雲系 只有10%到20%左右 那我們灑這些凝結核下去 就是帶動它 把這些降雨量再增加多一點 最多就再增加個10%這樣子 其實這樣子效果是顯著的 一早桃竹苗地區也有小雨，除了空中增雨，水利署同步在石門和寶二水庫，總共施放八支燃焰劑，因為前幾天人工造雨，雨勢還是集中在平地，這回首度陸空聯合，希望集水區降雨更明顯。 ==北水局副局長 邱忠川== 石門水庫在22日的時候 下了一波比較大的雨 是17毫米 昨天只降了0.8毫米 今天早上上午凌晨到現在 總共降了2.9毫米 所以這次的雨都下在平地 目前石門、寶山、明德水庫，有效蓄水量還在50%上下，水利署將把握持續到週日的鋒面，視情況增加人工造雨，不過受雲面限制，還無法對南部水情帶來幫助。 記者 王介村 孟昭權 綜合報導