The cutoff of key satellite data needed for hurricane forecasting has been delayed by one month, until July 31, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on Monday.
Earlier this month, NOAA said it would discontinue the “ingest, processing and distribution” of data collected by three weather satellites that the agency jointly runs with the Defense Department.
The move comes in the middle of hurricane season and in the wake of cuts at the National Weather Service and other departments of NOAA. They have been the target of downsizing in President Donald Trump’s second term. The Department of Government Efficiency has significantly decreased the agency’s workforce, local field offices and funding.
Already, hurricane forecasts were likely to be less accurate this year because launches of weather balloons have been curtailed because of a staff shortage.
A reason for the cut of satellite data wasn’t immediately clear, but NOAA spokesperson Kim Doster, in a statement, called it “routine process of data rotation and replacement” and said the remaining data sources “are fully capable of providing a complete set of cutting-edge data and models that ensure the gold-standard weather forecasting the American people deserve.”
Traditional visible or infrared satellites provide data that becomes images showing the structure, intensity and temperature of a storm, according to NOAA information, along with features such as lightning. But those miss the three-dimensional details of a storm. The microwave data produces information that can’t be found from conventional satellites, and helps see under a regular image of a hurricane or a tropical cyclone to look at what is going on inside, especially at night.
Microwave imagery allows researchers and forecasters to see the center of the storm. Experts say that helps detect the rapid intensification of storms and more accurately plot the likely path.
The Atlantic hurricane season lasts until Nov. 30 and 2025 was predicted to be above average. Based on past records, the historic peak of hurricane season is between mid-August and mid-October.
Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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