A cloud-seeding operation by the Royal Rain-making and Agricultural Aviation Department this morning brought about a brief rain over parts of Bangkok in the afternoon as part of the on-going attempts to provide Bangkokians a temporary relief from the current air pollution.

The department chief Mr Surasee Kittimonthon said today that two planes were deployed from the eastern artificial rain-making centre in the eastern province of Rayong, flying to Chachoengsao and Nakhon Nayok provinces to seed cloud which was predicted to be carried by wind toward Bangkok and its peripherals where rain were expected to fall.

He said that the current weather was ideal for rain making until Friday and he expected that rain would help ease the problem of PM2.5 dust particles in the over the city and its neighbouring provinces.

The department’s prediction of rain has been proven correct with rain starting to fall at about 4.15 pm in several areas in Bangkok.  However, the rain lasted less than 15 minutes.

Earlier on Monday, the Air Force had sent two transport planes to carry out water spraying operation over Bangkok whereas the Army has deployed 60 water trucks and fire trucks to help in the cleanup of dusty roads and water spraying on heavy-congested roads.

Two BT-67 transport planes from the 45^th air wing in the northern province of Phitsanuloke conducted three water spraying sorties today – one in the morning and two in the afternoon – dumping altogether 9,000 litres of water over an area covering Don Meuang, Chatuchak and the Air Force headquarter at Don Meuang.

The Air Force also sent out a medical team today to advise people on how to protect themselves against the current air pollution and to distribute to members of the public 30,000 face masks capable of screening emissions and dust particles averaging 0.1 micron.