Scientific advances and challenges to address growing societal needs in weather modification
Tessendorf, S. A., Siems, S., Prabhakaran, T., Cecchini, M. A., Burger, R., et al. (2026). Scientific advances and challenges to address growing societal needs in weather modification. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, doi:https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-26-0160.1
| Title | Scientific advances and challenges to address growing societal needs in weather modification |
|---|---|
| Genre | Article |
| Author(s) | Sarah A. Tessendorf, S. Siems, T. Prabhakaran, M. A. Cecchini, R. Burger, J. Duan, A. Malkarova, A. M. Albar, N. Orikasa, F. Renggono, O. Al Yazeedi, U. Lohmann, E. De Coning |
| Abstract | The 11th World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Scientific Conference on Weather Modification took place at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune, India, from November 3 to 7, 2025. Ending a 14-year hiatus since the 2011 meeting, the conference brought together 229 participants from 31 countries, including more than 70 students and emerging researchers. This broad attendance reflects a growing global demand for weather modification driven by concerns over water security, prolonged droughts, and the rising economic toll of weather hazards. While the scientific landscape has been reshaped by advances like artificial intelligence, machine learning, new observing systems, and convection-permitting modeling, the field still faces persistent hurdles. These include the difficulty of proving statistically robust seeding signals in variable systems, the high cost of controlled field experiments, and evolving questions surrounding environmental governance and public engagement. Hosted under the leadership of Dr. Thara Prabhakaran, the event concluded with opening remarks from WMO and India's Ministry of Earth Sciences emphasizing the critical need for solid observations, rigorous evaluation, transparency, and international collaboration. |
| Publication Title | Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society |
| Publication Date | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Publisher's Version of Record | https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-26-0160.1 |
| OpenSky Citable URL | https://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7zs324h |
| OpenSky Listing | View on OpenSky |
| RAL Affiliations | HAP |