Storm chasers

As climate change makes storms more powerful and destructive, scientists are looking for radical ways to control the climate to minimize damage to property and loss of life. For example, a space-based solar power plant that can produce gigawatts of electricity has the potential to weaken typhoons.

Duan Baoyan, the lead scientist behind China’s ambitious “Zhuri” project, said electricity generated by the orbiting power generator is converted into microwaves and beamed to Earth, where a receiving station converts it back to electricity, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports.

A very intense microwave beam directed at a storm system can heat and lessen its moisture to change a typhoon’s intensity and path, the professor of mechanical engineering at Xidian University in Xian, northwestern China, explained in the state-run newspaper People’s Daily on 2 March, according to SCMP.

But while people tend to avoid storms for safety, some Chinese want to experience them for thrills or relaxation. In fact, enjoying the sight of lightning, the sound of thunder, and the feel of rainfall is now a trend that some public bathhouses in China are capitalizing on.

According to a viral online video, a new attraction for bathhouses and hot springs hotels in major cities on the mainland is the Storm Bath Spa. The service consists of overhead water jets that cascade into the pool, while surrounding electronic screens display dynamic visuals of scenes such as lightning storms, SCMP reports.

Simulated thunder and realistic heavy rain sound effects make the immersive atmosphere feel vividly lifelike, according to SCMP.

The Storm Bath Spa appeals to office workers who want to de-stress.