Half-hour flight sparks from flares, and... Video of cloud seeding in Delhi, rain expected in some parts

Cloud Seeding In Delhi:  A successful cloud seeding trial was conducted in the capital Delhi today. Two trials have been conducted, and the third trial will also be conducted today. For this, a Cessna aircraft from IIT Kanpur flew from Meerut and conducted cloud seeding trials in areas like Khekra, Burari, North Karol Bagh, Mayur Vihar, Sadakpur, and Bhojpur. Eight cloud seeding flares were released using pyro technology. Also Read: Election Commission Gears Up for Nationwide Voter Roll Verification, Bihar Model to Be Shortened

Rain could occur in Delhi any time

The IIT Kanpur team believes that rain could occur in Delhi any time in the next few hours. The IIT Kanpur Media Cell has also released a video of this trial, in which flares can be seen flying. The IIT Kanpur Media Cell has also released a video of this trial, in which flares can be seen being released.

#WATCH | Delhi | "The second trial of cloud seeding was conducted in Delhi by IIT Kanpur through Cessna Aircraft. The aircraft entered Delhi from the direction of Meerut. Khekra, Burari, North Karol Bagh, Mayur Vihar were covered under this. 8 flares were used in cloud seeding.… pic.twitter.com/xMby0wBLJh

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2025

Manjinder Sirsa, a minister in the Delhi government, provided information about this. He said that 8 flares were used. Each flare weighs 2.5 kg and lasts for approximately two to two and a half minutes. The entire process took half an hour.

Rain may fall in Delhi soon

After this trial, light drizzle and rain are expected in areas of outer Delhi. However, this depends on the moisture in the clouds. Currently, the humidity is low, as the weather department has predicted a temperature of 3 degrees below normal in Delhi. As per reports, the wind direction is northward. The clouds may move towards the north (outer Delhi areas).

आज दिल्ली में Cloud Seeding का दूसरा ट्रायल किया गया। इसके लिए Cessna एयरक्राफ्ट ने Kanpur से उड़ान भरी और खेकरा, बुराड़ी, नार्थ करोल बाग, मयूर विहार, सड़कपुर और भोजपुर से होते हुए मेरठ एयरपोर्ट पर लैंड किया। इस दौरान pyro techniques का उपयोग करते हुए 8 cloud seeding flares… pic.twitter.com/ntL1PbpGj9

— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) October 28, 2025

How was the AQI in Delhi today?

On Tuesday morning, Delhiites woke up to clouds and dense smog, with the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) at 305, which falls in the 'very poor' category. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 27 of the city's 38 monitoring stations recorded similar readings.

 Five trials will be conducted at a cost of ₹3.21 crore.

How is cloud seeding done?

Cloud seeding is the scientific process of artificially inducing rain from clouds. Meteorologists identify clouds that have sufficient moisture but are unable to rain on their own. Small aircraft like Cessnas or drones are sent to these clouds. Upon reaching the cloud level, the aircraft releases chemicals such as silver iodide, sodium chloride, or potassium iodide in the form of flares. These chemicals attract water vapor within the clouds and convert it into tiny water droplets. When these water droplets become heavy, they fall to the ground as rain.

The effects of cloud seeding are typically visible within 15 minutes to 4 hours, depending on weather conditions and the nature of the clouds. Also Read: Bihar Elections: Tejashwi Yadav as CM face of the Grand Alliance, Ashok Gehlot announced

Summary

Its main purpose is to reduce pollution, create artificial rain in dry areas, and provide relief to agricultural areas. However, this technique does not work on every cloud, and sometimes its effect is very limited. Scientists are still studying its environmental impacts, but this technology is being considered a potential solution for cities struggling with urban pollution.