Homemade rockets were launched by locals for a rainmaking ritual in Thailand.

Footage shows the locals setting up the miniature rockets to a bamboo structure at an open field and firing them to the sky in Nakhon Phanom province on May 10.

The residents organised the event for the Rocket Festival and offered prayers to the god of rain Phaya Thaen which they believe will bring an end to the scorching summer season, heralding torrents of rain for their crop fields.

All rockets fired were made from PVC pipes filled with gunpowder and launched from poles that are 16ft high.

One of the organisers Sien Yao said: ‘We have a team that ensures safety. We measure the height and flight times of each rocket.'

Aside from the rain ritual, the event included a contest to award the best homemade rocket flown.

Sien added: ‘We have telescopes and stopwatches, tracking the rockets' trajectories and give commentaries.

‘We receive 10,000 baht per day to do these which some might call expensive but it demands special expertise.'

More than 50 rockets were fired for the ritual this year with local officials and politicians, sponsoring the expenses.

The event happens each year at the end of the hot season, when temperatures reach 40 degrees Celsius. Locals believe firing rockets into the clouds triggers the much-needed rains for their rice crops.