A major debate over cloud seeding in Cyprus resurfaced on Thursday, as the director of EastMed Weather Modification Ltd, Heraklis Panteli, sought to dismantle years of misconceptions around the technology during an interview on the Prwtoselido programme. He clarified that cloud seeding has nothing to do with “spraying” or “bombing” the atmosphere, but is a six-decade-old method used by dozens of countries either to enhance rainfall or suppress hail.
Panteli described the process step by step, stressing that it bears little resemblance to the myths often circulated. Specialised aircraft enter a suitable cloud under the guidance of meteorologists and radar operators on the ground, who guide pilots to the correct altitudes and cloud types. “You can’t seed when there are scattered tiny clouds,” he said. “And you can’t move a cloud. But you can activate it when it already has the potential to rain.”
A deepening water crisis
Discussing Cyprus specifically, Panteli was blunt: “We’re no longer talking about a water issue- it’s a crisis.”
EastMed submitted a fully developed seven-month proposal for cloud seeding in Cyprus to the Agriculture Ministry in July 2024, involving two aircraft, a Paphos-based team, and a long-range radar system. Six months later, the state rejected it, citing scientific advice that the method is not sufficiently tested under Cypriot climatic conditions and cannot guarantee results.
Panteli accepts that no country can predict when suitable clouds will appear. Still, he insists the technology has proven effectiveness abroad. After the rejection, the company invited one of the world’s leading weather-modification scientists to review local data. Analysing 53 days from last winter- excluding storm days- the expert found that on 33 of them conditions were ideal for successful seeding. Panteli emphasised this was a theoretical exercise “on paper”, but illustrative of the potential.
Three revised proposals now on the table
EastMed has since submitted three revised options:
- a scientific programme with limited seeding and extensive data collection
- a revival of the original full-scale plan with two aircraft
- a hybrid model combining broader operations with simultaneous scientific assessment
For Panteli, timing is the biggest concern. Reservoirs now sit at 9.9%, much of it mud. “Every day that passes is a lost day,” he said, noting that relocating staff, installing infrastructure and beginning the programme would take months. Delays, he argued, are incompatible with the scale of the crisis.
Can cloud seeding target reservoirs?
When asked whether the method can direct rain specifically over dams, Panteli was clear: clouds cannot be moved. However, seeding can be carried out over the mountain range that feeds the reservoirs, increasing the likelihood that rainfall ends up where it is needed. “A cloud will rain eventually. The question is where and when,” he said.
An international example- and a hint
Before leaving the studio, Panteli pointed to Iran, where cloud seeding was carried out last weekend over Lake Urmia, accompanied, he joked, either by scientific planning or by prayer. “Either way, it rained,” he said, leaving little doubt about what he believes Cyprus should do next.
“We cannot wait seven months for an answer,” he concluded. “The crisis moves faster than the procedures.”
Also read: Meteorologist urges revival of Cyprus cloud seeding programme
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