Sudden Rain at the Concert Venue... China's Clever Solution Amid 'Drought Shock'

Audience 'Fury' and Calls to "Understand Artificial Rainfall"

After sudden rain poured down at a large concert of a famous Chinese singer, some fans who got wet protested, claiming it was 'artificial rain.' Yonhap News reported on the 25th (local time), citing local media including the Chinese state-run English newspaper Global Times, about the fans' complaints.

To summarize, on the 21st, a concert by Chinese singer-songwriter Xue Zhiqian was held at the Xuzhou Olympic Stadium in Jiangsu Province, China. Thousands of fans gathered, and rain started as soon as the performance began. Fans who had not prepared umbrellas or raincoats had no choice but to get soaked at the venue.

Chinese singer Xue Zichen concert
[Photo by China Global Times/Yonhap News]

The fans initially thought it was natural rain, but the rain was related to artificial rainmaking conducted by the Xuzhou authorities to alleviate drought. In fact, the day before the concert, the authorities had announced that they would carry out artificial rainmaking from morning until night to relieve drought. However, the fans were unaware of this.

In reality, some areas of Jiangsu Province are experiencing severe drought due to below-average rainfall combined with high temperatures. The situation in Xuzhou is particularly serious. From January to April this year, the average precipitation in Xuzhou was only 29 mm, which is 80% less than the annual average of 141.7 mm for the same period.

Additionally, the central and northern regions have been suffering from record-breaking heatwaves, and since early June, extreme high temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius have caused severe drought. Farmers are complaining of hardship, even resorting to digging wells again as they did 30 years ago.

Some fans expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "Couldn't the artificial rain have been done at a different time?" On the other hand, there are opinions that if one understands the seriousness of the drought, one should not criticize the timing of the artificial rain. Eastern regions such as Shandong and Henan provinces are also facing severe drought threatening crops, making artificial rainmaking urgently necessary.

China's Abnormal High Temperatures
Photo by Weibo Capture

The meteorological authorities explained that artificial rainmaking requires suitable conditions and circumstances, so it cannot satisfy everyone. Artificial rainmaking is usually done by launching rockets that disperse substances like silver iodide or dry ice into clouds. China actively uses artificial rainmaking to combat drought and prevent desertification.

Some argued that the artificial rain would not have affected the concert venue because the distance between the concert hall and the artificial rain operation was about 24 km.

Meanwhile, China is experiencing a deadly heatwave with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. The China National Meteorological Center announced that from the 1st to the 10th of this month, more than 20 meteorological stations in Hebei and Shandong provinces recorded the highest temperatures ever for early June. Furthermore, temperatures in northern regions are expected to continue rising until the 20th, with record-high temperatures possible in Hebei, Shanxi, and Henan provinces.