The idea of inducing rainfall artifically was first considered seriously in the US in the 1800s. In 1838, the Americans hatched a plan to end a devastating drought by setting fire to huge forests, hoping that the smoke would stimulate rain. The plan was rejected, but in around 1890, the Texas government experimented with exploding balloons to seed clouds.

In 1916, Charles Hatfield, with a generous donation from the mayor of San Diego in California, mixed a concoction of 24 chemicals that smelt of rotten cheese and strewed it around a large reservoir outside the city. A flood ensued a few days later, washing away roads and railways.

Whether it was his fault