Authorities in Iran have sprayed clouds with chemicals to induce rain, in an attempt to combat the country's worst drought in decades.
Known as cloud-seeding, the process was conducted over the Urmia lake basin on Saturday, Iran's official news agency Irna reported.
Urmia is Iran's largest lake, but has largely dried out leaving a vast salt bed. Further operations will be carried out in east and west Azerbaijan, the agency said.
Rainfall is at record lows and reservoirs are nearly empty. Last week President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that if there is not enough rainfall soon, Tehran's water supply could be rationed and people may be evacuated from the capital.
Cloud seeding involves injecting chemical salts, such as silver or potassium iodide, into clouds via aircraft or ground generators. This helps water vapour condense and form rain. The technique has been used in various countries, including the UAE, to address water shortages.
This year, rainfall has decreased by about 89% compared to the long-term average, with Iran's meteorological organization stating that the country is experiencing the driest autumn in 50 years. Officials have also announced plans to penalize households and businesses that consume excessive amounts of water.
Water levels in Tehran's Amirkabir dam are reported to be at only 8% of capacity, raising alarm among officials.
To add to the gravity of the situation, hundreds gathered at a mosque in Tehran to pray for rainfall. There was some reported rainfall in the west and northwest of the country, providing a glimmer of hope to the parched regions.
