The Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission said that it was
developing an artificial shell to protect the opening ceremony of the Olympic
Games in 2008 in case of rain, according to a report from The First Daily on
Monday.
Zheng Jun, who works in the development department of the commission, said
the project under development belonged to a theme program called "technology
improves capital residents' life quality."
"The project not only serves the Beijing Olympic Games but also helps to
prevent and regulate other catastrophic weather," Zheng said.
Zheng said the Olympic Games will be held during the rainy season in Beijing
so rough plans for three possible different weather conditions have been
underway.
The first would use the shell to create rainfall in areas near Beijing like
Tianjin, Hebei Province or Inner Mongolia before the clouds had a chance to get
to the capital.
The second plan would use the shell to jump and start a rainfall a few days
before the Games in case of cloud cover over Beijing.
The third plan would scatter the clouds completely if problem weather
patterns were detected before the ceremony, such as hail.
In addition to the shell, there are seven more programs being launched by the
commission in order to boost the capital's technological capabilities during the
Eleventh Five-Year Plan, Zheng said.