Fly jets, keep rains away

Moscow is a city where there is always uncertainty about the weather. So since the days of the erstwhile USSR, when national holidays were celebrated, leaders made preparations to prevent rains to keep people in a 8216;8216;good mood8217;8217;. The practice has continued in democratic Russia.

It was perfect weather with the sun beating down when PM Manmohan Singh left for Moscow to attend the 60th anniversary of the Red Army8217;s victory over Nazi Germany. But by the time the plane touched down at Vnukovo airport, it had started raining.

Russian Air Force8217;s cloud-seeding planes were ready to take up the challenge to prevent the rains. But they could not, at least, on Sunday, as the airspace over Moscow was closed due to the dozens of foreign leaders arriving in the city for the occasion.