Hydro says that its storages stand at 25.2 per cent - about 4.5 per cent down on the same period last year after particularly dry winter and summer periods.

Catchment areas to be seeded this year are Gordon, Great Lake, Lake Rowallan, Upper Pieman, Lake King William, Lake St. Clair and Lake Echo (see map below). As has been the case in recent years, there will be no seeding flights over the King River catchment area, close to Queenstown.

The Hydro says that cloud seeding only occurs when the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts rain and even then only if conditions are favourable for seeding to be successful.

During the 2014 season a total of 30 operational flights were flown with conditions suitable for cloud seeding found on 13 occasions. In 2013, there were 28 flights with seeding on 12 occasions.

The season will run through to the end of October.