A Volkswagen plant in Puebla, Mexico, has incurred the wrath of nearby farmers who say that by firing "hail cannons," which blast shockwaves into the sky to theoretically prevent hail from forming, the automaker is causing a drought.

An attempt to control these storms is causing controversy, despite questions about whether it’s possible to prevent hail in the first place. A Volkswagen plant in Puebla, Mexico, has incurred the wrath of nearby farmers who say that by firing “hail cannons,” which blast shockwaves into the sky to theoretically prevent hail from forming, the automaker is causing a drought. ADVERTENTIE Learn more The AFP reports that farmers believe the cannons have prevented any precipitation from falling since May, during the rainy season. The farmers are now seeking almost $3.7 million in compensation for at least 5,000 acres of affected crops. When the cannons are fired, “the sky literally clears and it simply doesn’t rain,” Gerardo Perez, a farmer leading protests, told AFP. In response, Volkswagen reportedly has said it will install mesh netting to protect the cars, and turn off the mechanism that causes the cannons to auto-fire under certain weather conditions. “Once the anti-hail nets are installed in the yards, they will be used as the main measure for the protection of vehicles, while the devices will serve as a secondary tool and will only be used in manual mode,” a VW spokesperson told the Financial Times.

>"A Volkswagen plant in Puebla, Mexico, has incurred the wrath of nearby farmers who say that by firing "hail cannons" that fire shockwaves into the sky to theoretically prevent hail from forming, the automaker is causing a drought. But do hail cannons work?"