Weather: Emotional and Meteorological

It's fascinating that humans try to control the weather both emotional and meteorological.

I found this article today and especially loved the vintage illustration of an anti-hail cannon. Here.

Anti-Hail Cannon

A hailstorm can ruin a year's worth of crops in a matter of minutes, but a machine has emerged to help farmers (literally) combat this problem.
Hail cannons are devices that fire shockwaves up into thunderclouds to prevent hailstones from forming. The theory dates back to the 14th century, when people in Europe attempted to ward off hail by ringing church bells and firing cannons. Anti-hail cannons were especially popular in wine-producing regions of Europe during the 19th century, and modern versions of them are still used in Italy.

In the U.S., hail cannons have been marketed through events like Tulare County's World Ag Expo, billed as the largest farm equipment show in the world, and farmers in states such as Colorado, Nebraska and Michigan have bought them in recent years, USA Today reports.

However, scientists say there's little evidence for its effectiveness. "It'd have to be something pretty major to upset hail," Charles Knight, a senior scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, told USA Today. "If you exploded an atomic bomb in a cloud, that might do something."

The cannons can also cause clashes between farmers and neighbors. When used, they are repeatedly fired every 1 to 10 seconds while a storm is approaching and until it has passed through the area.

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