Cloud seeding ops extended by another two days, targeting the catchment areas of three major dams

KUCHING, Sept 6 2026: Cloud Seeding Operations in Sarawak have been extended until September 7, targeting the catchment areas of the Batang Ai, Bakun, and Murum dams.

Caption: MetMalaysia director-general Khairul Najib Ibrahim  says that rain induced over the last three days is not enough to the desired water levels at the major dams.

Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) Sarawak director Khairul Najib Ibrahim said the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) has approved a two-day extension for the operations, which were originally scheduled to take place from September 3 to 5.

According to him, the operations over the last three days have successfully induced rainfall in several areas, including Murum, Bakun, Serian, and Batang Ai, but the volumes of rain are still insufficient to fill the desired levels of water at the dams.

“Induced rain did fall, but not in large quantities, as most of the cloud formations shifted sideways into the neighboring country due to relatively strong winds at the time.

“Most of the clouds we seeded drifted across the border into the neighboring country, so only a small portion fell over Batang Ai,” he told reporters at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base today.

Khairul explained that cloud and weather conditions also influenced operational effectiveness.

Accordingly, he expressed hope that atmospheric conditions during the extended operational period will prove more conducive, enabling cloud seeding efforts to yield better results, particularly over catchment areas of the dams.

“We hope that over the coming two days, our operations will prove successful as we focus on the areas around Batang Ai and dam catchment areas across Sarawak to support our local industries as well as domestic and industrial consumption in Sarawak,” he added.

Also accompanying the operation was Deputy Sarawak State Secretary (Administration) Felicia Tan Ya Hua, who inspected the execution of the  operations and observed the current situation across the involved dam sites.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) Vice President of Hydro Jonny Wong Kwei Ji noted that water levels at the Murum Dam continue to show a declining trend, thus necessitating the continuation of operations.

According to him, both the Murum and Bakun dams are currently approaching Emergency Level 1, whereas the Batang Ai Dam has already reached Emergency Level 3.

He explained that the Batang Ai Dam remains one of the primary targets of this operation due to its critical water level, with a reading of 98.19 meters above sea level (mASL) recorded.

An "Emergency Level 1" or "Critical Level 1" at a dam indicates an early-stage low water warning where storage drops below normal operating thresholds, prompting conservation measures or preparatory actions like cloud seeding.