Reports of so-called “acid clouds” moving from Iran towards Central Asia are not supported by scientific data, national hydrometeorological services in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan say, adding there is no threat to the region.
In recent days, speculation about a possible environmental threat has spread widely across social media and messaging platforms, raising concern among users in Central Asia. Posts claimed that, following strikes on Iran’s oil infrastructure, large amounts of harmful substances had been released into the atmosphere, potentially forming dangerous air masses capable of travelling long distances.
Earlier, Israeli officials said strikes had targeted around 30 oil storage tanks in Tehran. Fires reportedly broke out at several facilities, sending large plumes of smoke above the Iranian capital. Local reports also mentioned dark precipitation resembling acid rain after the attacks.
However, meteorological specialists say claims about so-called “acid clouds” moving towards Central Asia have no scientific basis.
According to Kazakhstan’s national hydrometeorological service, Kazhydromet, acid precipitation forms from sulphur and nitrogen oxides typically released by industrial activity, energy production and transport, usually close to the source of emissions.
“Acid precipitation forms close to emission sources. When air masses travel over long distances, the concentration of these substances decreases significantly due to natural atmospheric processes,” Kazhydromet told AnewZ.
Experts explain that as air masses move across large distances, pollutants disperse through atmospheric mixing and natural deposition, making the formation of hazardous acid precipitation thousands of kilometres away from the source extremely unlikely.
Monitoring data show no signs of such pollutants moving towards Kazakhstan or other countries in Central Asia.
Specialists are urging the public to rely on information from official meteorological and environmental services and to treat unverified claims circulating online with caution.
Iran’s army said it targeted U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait with drone attacks. Tehran said the operations were carried out in retal...
Russia may seek compensation from Armenia if Yerevan changes the terms of the South Caucasus Railway (SCR) agreement without mutual consent, Russian E...
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have welcomed Jordan's proposal to convene a meeting of Arab and Islamic countries to address the worsening situation in Pal...
French DJ and electropop musician Kavinsky, whose atmospheric sound shaped a generation of electronic music fans, has died at the age of 50, French authorities said on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further military action if the groups launched new attacks against the kingdom.
The U.S. military said it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran, a two-hour operation that hit dozens of targets. Washington described the strikes as a "powerful response" to Iranian missile attacks targeting U.S. forces in the Middle East a day earlier.
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or an onboard technical fault. Egyptian authorities said there were no casualties.
The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Japan’s southwestern Kumamoto prefecture has risen to 30, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Thursday, as water and power shortages left survivors exposed to extreme summer heat.
Russia may seek compensation from Armenia if Yerevan changes the terms of the South Caucasus Railway (SCR) agreement without mutual consent, Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said.
Georgian Post is no longer focused solely on delivering letters and parcels across Georgia. The state postal operator is transforming into a regional logistics hub following a new agreement with Cainiao, the logistics arm of Alibaba.
Saudi Arabia has extended a $5 billion financial facility for Pakistan until December 2028, easing the country's external financing pressure as Islamabad continues economic reforms under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.
President Ilham Aliyev arrived in the Kyrgyz Republic on Wednesday for a state visit focused on expanding economic cooperation, transport connectivity and political coordination between the two Turkic nations.
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have elevated their bilateral relationship to the level of an alliance after Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Sadyr Japarov signed a Treaty on Allied Relations during high-level talks in the Kyrgyz resort city of Cholpon-Ata.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment