Urban myth. We’ve all heard the tales of “them making it rain”. Rockets or planes doing so-called “cloud seeding”. But we really weren’t 100-percent sure how. Now though, we have photographic evidence of them doing so, accompanied by a host of interesting data.
It all began in Nanjing in 2014. That’s when the second Youth Olympics were held in our fair city. In August. In Nanjing. “What were they thinking?”, we all wondered. But when the day came, a haze of moisture had settled over the city, keeping temperatures in the mid 20s for 2 weeks so that the athletes could compete at their best.
这一切都始于2014年的南京。当时第二届青奥会在我们美丽的城市举行。八月。在南京。 “他们在想什么？”我们都想知道。但当这一天到来时，这座城市上空笼罩着一层湿气，气温在两周内保持在 20 多度左右，以便运动员们能够以最佳状态参加比赛。
Like today, basically.
基本上就像今天一样。
IOC Chairman, Thomas Bach, commented afterward that the organisation of the Nanjing Games had been “flawless”. He got that right. And he’d likely been guaranteed it included organising the weather.
国际奥委会主席托马斯·巴赫事后评论说，南京奥运会的组织“完美无缺”。他说得对。他很可能得到保证，其中包括安排天气。
It’s been that way ever since. Once a year or so, the word spreads that they’re making it rain again. Now it’s official. And they’re being right up front about it.
从那以后一直都是这样。大约每年一次，他们会再次下雨的消息就会传开。现在正式了。他们对此很坦率。
As the Yangtze Evening News has reported, between 26 and 28 August, the Nanjing Meteorological Bureau carried out “artificial precipitation enhancement”. For the Chinese-language students among our alert readers, that would be “人工增雨”.
据扬子晚报报道，8月26日至28日，南京市气象局开展“人工增雨”。对于我们警惕的读者中的中文学生来说，这将是“人工增雨”。
The equipment in question would be the WR-98 Special Artificial Rain Enhancement Rocket (WR-98型专用人工增雨火箭). As can be seen from the accompanying photograph, it is launched from the back of a pick-up truck.
该设备是WR-98特种人工增雨火箭（WR-98型专用人工增雨火箭）。从附图中可以看出，它是从一辆皮卡车的后面发射的。
For those interested, the similar-sounding, but probably-identical “WR-98 Rain Enhancement and Hail Suppression Rocket” (WR-98雨增强和冰雹抑制火箭) is sold on Alibaba for between US$80 and US$200 per piece (minimum order 10 pieces).
对于那些感兴趣的人来说，听起来相似但可能相同的“WR-98 降雨增强和冰雹抑制火箭”（WR-98 雨增强和冰雹眼球火箭）在阿里巴巴的售价为每件 80 美元至 200 美元（最少订购 10 件）。
But beware, it also turns out that there are the “Regulations on the Administration of Weather Modification” (人工影响天气管理条例). The Regulations, which date from as long ago as 2002, have “the purpose of strengthening the administration of weather modification and preventing and mitigating meteorological disasters”.
但要注意的是，原来还有《人工影响天气管理条例》。该条例早在2002年就已出台，其目的是“加强人工影响天气管理，防治气象灾害”。
Therein, Article 16 states, “The transportation and storage of anti-aircraft guns, rocket-launching devices, shells and rockets used in weather-modification operations shall comply with the laws and regulations of the State on the management of weapons, equipment and explosives”.
其中第十六条规定：“运输、储存人工影响天气作业使用的高射炮、火箭发射装置、炮弹、火箭，应当遵守国家武器装备、爆炸物管理的法律、法规。”
Two locations in Nanjing were used for the firing of the cloud-seeding rockets; one in Pukou District and the other in Luhe District. Both were chosen for their “local climatic characteristics and geographical conditions” (Article 8 of the aforementioned Regulations). Specifically, that would be the new site of Pukou District Meteorological Bureau (118°35′27″ east; 32°03′59″ north) in the former and the Xujia Memorial Hall (118°44’40” east; 32°30′40″ north) in the latter.
南京的两个地点被用来发射播云火箭；一个在浦口区，另一个在六合区。两者均因其“当地气候特征和地理条件”而被选中（上述条例第八条）。具体而言，前者为浦口区气象局新址（东经118°35′27”，北纬32°03′59”），后者为徐家纪念馆（东经118°44′40”，北经32°30′40”）。
Both launches required advanced permission from the airspace control authorities, while observers were not permitted within 50 metres of the launch vehicles.
两次发射都需要获得空域管制当局的事先许可，并且观察员不得在距离运载火箭 50 米范围内。
In the aftermath, for alert readers who inadvertently come across debris or remnants of such rockets, they should not be touched or disturbed in any way. The matter should be immediately reported to the nearest police station or by telephone to the Nanjing Meteorological Bureau (83287310), the Liuhe District Meteorological Bureau (57126756) or the Pukou District Meteorological Bureau (58882117).
事后，对于无意中发现此类火箭碎片或残留物的警惕读者，不应以任何方式触摸或打扰它们。请立即向就近派出所报告，或致电南京市气象局（83287310）、六合区气象局（57126756）、浦口区气象局（58882117）。
