a weather modification (also known as weather control) is the act of intentionally manipulating or altering the weather. the most common form of weather modification is cloud seeding, which increases rain or snow, usually for the purpose of increasing the local water supply. weather modification can also have the goal of preventing damaging weather, such as hail or hurricanes, from occurring; or of provoking damaging weather against the enemy, as a tactic of military or economic warfare like operation popeye, where clouds were seeded to prolong the monsoon in vietnam. weather modification in warfare has been banned by the united nations under environmental modification convention.