On June 21st, mainland Chinese singer Xue Zhiqian, who rose to fame with the song “Actor”, was scheduled to perform at an outdoor stadium in Xuzhou. However, due to a long period of drought in Xuzhou, the meteorological department announced on its official Weibo on June 20th about artificial rainmaking operations to combat the dry conditions. The announcement stated that artificial rainfall operations would be carried out throughout the day on the 21st. This news sparked a backlash from fans and led to conflicting opinions.
Xuzhou’s “Early Warning Information Center” posted an “Artificial Rainmaking Operation Notice” on its official Weibo account on June 20th. The notice mentioned that the Xuzhou Meteorological Bureau would conduct artificial rainfall operations on June 21st. What seemed like a routine announcement quickly garnered thousands of comments in the discussion section.
Interestingly, June 21st also marked the first day of the three consecutive concerts of Xue Zhiqian’s “Extraterrestrial” tour in Xuzhou. It is understandable that fans wouldn’t want it to rain on the day of the concert. Hence, they flocked to the Xuzhou Meteorological Bureau’s Weibo to express their grievances.
Some fans, believed to be Xue Zhiqian’s supporters, commented, “There will be so many people at the stadium for the concert. Does it have to rain artificially at this time? Isn’t there something better to do?” On the other hand, another netizen argued that given the long drought in Xuzhou, it was a rare opportunity for artificial rain, saying, “Are you making way for your concert? Who do you think you are?” The tension escalated as both sides exchanged remarks, intensifying the conflict.
Fans of Xue Zhiqian suggested that artificial rain could be scheduled before or after the concert. However, a netizen clarified, “Artificial rain cannot be induced anytime. The cloud thickness must be at least 2000 meters, with abundant water vapor in the clouds being the basis for precipitation.” The netizen also revealed that residents of Xuzhou had been waiting for artificial rain for nearly half a year, and after this intervention, most of the drought conditions would be alleviated.
Some netizens criticized the fans, saying, “Just because there is a concert, artificial rain can’t be carried out. Who are they, the kings of weather?” and “Which concert needs to compromise on people’s livelihood and rainfall to give your singer more attention?” However, die-hard fans of Xue Zhiqian claimed that those opposing artificial rain were “black fans” pretending to be supporters of Xue Zhiqian, deliberately tarnishing the image of the fans.
At present, during the “Three Summers” (summer harvesting, summer planting, summer management) period, the weather in various parts of China is unusually severe, with extreme conditions of drought and flooding appearing in both north and south regions. Due to persistent high temperatures and low rainfall, the meteorological drought in regions such as North China, Huanghuai, and Jianghuai is becoming increasingly severe. According to a forecast released by the China Meteorological Administration on June 18th, the drought and intense heat in regions including Xuzhou, Jiangsu, are expected to continue for the next two weeks, making the situation challenging for farmers.