The Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission said that it was developing an artificial shell to protect the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in 2008 in case of rain, according to a report from The First Daily on Monday.

Zheng Jun, who works in the development department of the commission, said the project under development belonged to a theme program called "technology improves capital residents' life quality."

"The project not only serves the Beijing Olympic Games but also helps to prevent and regulate other catastrophic weather," Zheng said.

Zheng said the Olympic Games will be held during the rainy season in Beijing so rough plans for three possible different weather conditions have been underway.

The first would use the shell to create rainfall in areas near Beijing like Tianjin, Hebei Province or Inner Mongolia before the clouds had a chance to get to the capital.

The second plan would use the shell to jump and start a rainfall a few days before the Games in case of cloud cover over Beijing.

The third plan would scatter the clouds completely if problem weather patterns were detected before the ceremony, such as hail.

In addition to the shell, there are seven more programs being launched by the commission in order to boost the capital's technological capabilities during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan, Zheng said.