KUALA LUMPUR, March 4 — Cloud seeding operations continued today and the focus was on the southern part of Peninsula Malaysia, said the Director of the Atmospheric Science and Cloud Seeding Division of the Meteorological Services Department (JMM), Azhar Ishak.

He said the operation was still centred at the water catchment areas and the dams which were reported to have low water levels and were dry lately which had resulted in water rationing measures being carried out in the Klang Valley.

“We will wait until about 1pm or 2pm today and will do cloud seeding based on the radar pictures to determine the areas where there are suitable cloud formations.

“Only then will we do the cloud seeding,” he told Bernama today.

He said that each operation would take about two to three hours at a cost of about RM80,000.

Commenting further, Azhar said if the atmosphere were unstable, there would be faster cloud formation.

“And if this happens around the dam area, we will try to help in speeding up the process (by performing cloud seeding) so that rain will occur in the area,” he said.

He also said that information on the rainfall reading following the cloud seeding operation carried out yesterday had been obtained and was being processed.

In the federal capital, there was a brief rainfall this morning as the city dwellers began their daily routine in hazy condition.

It was reported that open burning and hot weather had contributed to the haze that occurred in several locations in the country.

According to the website of the Department of Environment, Banting, Kuala Selangor, Port Klang, Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam in Selangor; Batu Muda here; and Nilai in Negeri Sembilan recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) levels up to 10am today. — Bernama