Theorists believe the government is controlling the weather
Conspiracy theories focused on why Australia is experiencing such major flooding are spreading across the internet – despite scientists telling people otherwise.
Around eight months’ worth of rain has fallen in Sydney in just four days and around 50,000 people were urged to leave Australia’s largest city this week.
Scientists say that, while warmer oceans and saturated soils are just a couple of the factors behind this intense rainfall, this extreme weather cannot just be put down to one single factor alone.
However online, conspiracy theorists have got their own ideas. According to reports from the BBC, they’re blaming the extreme rainfall on “cloud seedling” and “weather manipulation”.
Cloud seeding is actually a real thing. It’s a weather modification technique that improves a cloud’s ability to produce rain or snow by introducing tiny particles into the clouds, making water vapour gather and eventually fall. It is used to help irrigate crops.
That said, there is no evidence to suggest this technique has anything to do with the extreme rainfall in Sydney.
Despite the fact there is no evidence to back these theories up, the claims are still reaching thousands across social media. Posting a video of the floods, one TikToker wrote: “Nothing to see here, just a typical day of Sydney weather engineering.”
Posting on Twitter, another said: “This is happening because the elites are engineering the weather. Tell me this is a normal weather pattern!”
Theorists think it is all part of the government’s plan to “weaponise” the weather against the public. Not that this conspiracy is new – it’s been around for years.
Dr Ellie Gilbert, a climate scientist at the British Antarctic Survey, told the BBC: “The idea that this is happening on a widespread scale, and that there is some motive to manipulate the weather is a complete myth.”
A old news report from Australian TV network 9News is also doing the rounds, in which the newsreader reports concerns from residents in Tasmania that the region’s floods in 2016 could have been linked to cloud seeding. Yet a thorough investigation by the Tasmanian government – one that was backed by scientists – found that cloud seeding was not a cause.
Climate change is of course making flooding worse, as well as La Niña – a phenomenon which sees strong winds blow warm Pacific surface waters away from South America to Indonesia, forcing colder water to come to the surface. This increases the likelihood of rain, cyclones and cooler daytime temperatures in Australia.
Related links:
- Airline to launch world-first economy bunk beds for long-haul flights
- Move to ban trans athletes from women’s sport in Australia
- Dozens of bizarre creatures wash up on Australian beaches after massive rainfall
