Organizers set to stop weather raining on parade

By Lucy Hornby

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is still considering some man-made help to ensure perfect weather for the Olympic Games, which begin on Friday with an extravagant opening ceremony at the Bird's Nest national stadium in Beijing.

Normally arid Beijing is prone to torrential downpours on summer evenings, while the Bird's Nest lacks a roof, leading to speculation that Olympics Organizers will attempt to prevent storms that night.

"The meteorological bureau is considering it," said Fan Yuansheng, director of pollution control at the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

"They are researching some man-made weather intervention, and have done some preparations on that front."

Earlier this year, officials at the Beijing Meteorological Bureau claimed some success at heading off light rain, but acknowledged more difficulty with heavy storms.

Leaked videos of the opening ceremony promise a spectacular show by director Zhang Yimou, including a scroll that unrolls to reveal a lone dancer, and dancers clad as grey blocks that rise and fall to a powerful drumbeat, evoking both skyscrapers and stone artefacts of imperial China.

A lavish fireworks display will also be more striking in clear weather.

China has two methods of controlling rainfall on Friday, officials have said.