China has been modifying their weather for a number of years now, and they have specific plans to guarantee a dry opening ceremony for the Olympics. It sounds somewhat science fiction to be controlling the rainfall, but its nothing new in China. Most of their efforts involve using anti-aircraft guns to launch silver iodide into the clouds to trigger rainfall.

An article on the Olympic weather:

China ‘will stop the rain’ for Olympics

That reminds me of the Credance Clearwater Revival song. If they ever package the technology for export, I know what tune to use for the commercial. “And I wonder, still I wonder…”

How Stuff Works has a good article on the weather control process process:

Can China control the weather?

“Every year, China launches thousands of rockets and artillery shells into the sky. They’re not part of a set of war games or preparation for a battle with Taiwan, but rather a battle with the weather. Through its Weather Modification Program, the Chinese government hopes to control the fickle forces behind rain. Run by the Weather Modification Department, a division of the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Science, the program employs and trains 32,000 to 35,000 people across China, some of them farmers, who are paid $100 a month to handle anti-aircraft guns and rocket launchers.”