Cyclones and

Anticyclones
Geography by
Rushikesh Dudhat
Condition Required For
Cloud Seeding

Right atmospheric conditions with

plenty of clouds that are capable of
rain is required for cloud seeding.
We cannot go and seed the clear
skies.

Clouds form from the condensation

of invisible water vapour on nuclei
from dust, pollen and salt from
ocean spray.

Cloud seeding increases the

number of these available nuclei.
Raindrops or ice crystals might not
form without these added nuclei.

Effective cloud seeding is only

possible in the presence of clouds
that are capable of producing rain
Hail is large, layered ice particles, often spherical in shape, which are produced by thunderstorms having strong, tilted updrafts.

Hailstorms form within a unusually unstable air mass, that is, an air mass in which the temperature falloff with height is much greater than
normal. The unstable air is necessary to produce large updraft speeds -- fast enough to keep a developing hailstone from falling to the
ground. Some of these updrafts can reach 60 mph or more.

In a hailstorm, small ice particles that form above the freezing level (which occurs in all thunderstorms) collect either rain water or cloud
water on them, forming a water shell that freezes. The tilted updraft and downdraft structure of the storm is important in order for
hailstones to grow because they can be 'recycled' several times, until they either become too large for the updraft to carry them, or they
get caught in a downdraft, and they finally reach the ground.

DEADLY HAIL STORMS IN INDIA: As the summer monsoon season approaches in India, it is not unusual for there to be severe
thunderstorms. Some of these produce deadly tornadoes and hail. Possible the worst hail disaster in India occurred in 1888, when close
to 250 people were killed by falling hail -- some died immediately, others died later from their injuries.
What caused severe hailstorm in Delhi-NCR
There was a confluence of winds coming from Bay of Bengal and
Arabian Sea which met over northern India. At the same time, jet
streams, which are strong winds, were passing over the northern
plains and helped in deep cloud formation at the lower level.” Cold
winds and low temperatures, with a western disturbance bringing
showers over northern India, lead to thundercloud and hail
formation.