Rabat, Morocco (TMT)- Morocco and Algeria are currently engaged in a highly contentious political relationship, with the media exacerbating even minor events and fueling a dangerous level of animosity characterized by blind and irrational nationalism from both sides.
The latest source of contention between Morocco and Algeria is centered around the accusation that the North African kingdom is stealing rain from Spain, using Morocco’s cloud seeding program. Despite several media outlets attributing the origin of this claim to Algeria, a thorough investigation of various social media platforms reveals that the rumor was, in fact, initiated in Morocco and subsequently spread from there. Surprisingly, there were almost no mentions of the case on Algerian platforms.
While Algeria has been the source of various rumors and fake news about Morocco in the past, it should be noted that the claim about Morocco stealing rain from Spain does not appear to be one of them.
Atmospheric scientists stress that the longevity of clouds, particularly the cumulus variety which exhibits a heightened likelihood of precipitation, is typically limited to a mere span of a few hours. Although instances of cloud persistence may be observed, they are typically not extensive enough to traverse the boundaries of a neighboring country.
In the past, similar baseless claims of rain theft have been discredited, including allegations of China and Iran engaging in such practices. Scientists have consistently dismissed such assertions as impossible.
The Moroccan Times.
