Project Cumulus

Operation Cumulus was a project of the UK government in the 1950s which was investigating weather manipulation, in particular through cloud seeding experiments. Known jokingly within the project as Operation Witch Doctor,^[1] the project was operational between 1949 and 1952.

Motivation

The military were controlling the weather for several reasons, as detailed in minutes of an Air Ministry meeting held on 3rd November 1953.^[1] They included:

• "bogging down enemy movement";
• "incrementing the water flow in rivers and streams to hinder or stop enemy crossings";
• clearing fog from airfields.

The Lynmouth disaster

Main article: Lynmouth: 1952 Lynmouth flood

On 16 August 1952 a severe flood occurred in the town of Lynmouth in north Devon. 9 inches (229 millimetres) of rain fell within twenty-four hours^[2] and the East Lyn River rose rapidly and burst its banks. Thirty-four people died and many buildings and bridges were seriously damaged.

Although there is no direct evidence, there has been speculation^[3] that Project Cumulus contributed to the conditions that caused this flood. A few days before the disaster a seeding experiment was carried out over southern England. Alan Yates, an aeronautical engineer and glider pilot who was working with the operation, sprayed salt in the air and was "elated" to learn of a heavy rainfall in Staines shortly after.^[1]

Other writers deny that the experiments could have caused the accident. Meteorologist Philip Eden claims that "it is preposterous to blame the Lynmouth flood on such experiments".^[4]

Closure

The project was closed down in 1952. There are rumours that the official documents were deliberately destroyed; certainly some classified documents are missing.^[3]

See also

• Royal Air Force

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Vidal, John and Helen Weinstein, RAF rainmakers 'caused 1952 flood', The Guardian, 2001-08-30, retrieved 2007-07-21.
2. ^ 1952: Flood devastates Devon village, BBC
3. ^ ^{a b} Rain-making link to killer floods, BBC, 2001-08-30, retrieved 2007-07-21
4. ^ The day they made it rain, Philip Eden, WeatherOnline

References

• The 1952 Flood Disaster in Context, Exmoor National Park Authority
• Fitrakis, Bob, Weather Warfare, retrieved 2007-07-21
• "Weather", Royal Meteorological Society, July 1952.