Deputy chief minister Shahelmey Yahya said the operation, which began on March 28, has shown a 67% success rate in producing rainfall.

He said the targeted areas, such as rain catchment zones, had received much-needed rainfall.

“Over the past two days, we have seen thick clouds, and there was even some rain in Kota Kinabalu last night,” Bernama quoted him as saying after a Ramadan programme in the city today.

The National Disaster Management Agency had ordered cloud seeding in the three drought-hit districts of Papar, Lahad Datu and Tawau.

Shahelmey, who is also Sabah works minister, hoped that such weather conditions would persist and help replenish water supply at dams.

He said the state government would use this year’s drought situation as a guide to making preparations for next year.

Meanwhile, district disaster management committee chairman Fuad Abdullah said the water at the emergency water supply scheme water treatment plant in Limbahau, Papar, could not be treated due to a high water salinity level of 3,038mg/l recorded by the district water department as of 3pm today.

On March 13, Fuad, who is also the Papar district officer, had declared the district a drought disaster area following a water supply crisis caused by a drought there.