Trump travels to Texas to support Ken Paxton as another state official endorses James Talarico – live
President says he will respect midterm election results ‘if they’re honest’; Texas chief justice of supreme court endorses Democrat James Talarico in Senate race Sign up for the Breaking News US email US voters: tell us what issues will decide your vote? Speaking to reporters on the tarmac before departing for a campaign event in Michigan, JD Vance responded to a question about President Trump’s remarks branding…
Key points
- Trump's cuts have severely hampered NOAA's ability to forecast and respond to extreme weather, former officials and scientists warn.
- NOAA has lost roughly 20% of its staff since January 2025, with databases and labs shut down.
- The National Weather Service has delayed data collection and cut hours, with hundreds of positions vacant across 122 forecast offices.
Sweeping cuts to the US government's main climate agency under Donald Trump have severely weakened the country's ability to forecast, research and respond to extreme weather, former government officials and scientists have warned. The warning comes as the US faces a series of hazards fueled by a potentially historic El Niño this winter.
Since the start of his second term, Trump has targeted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), cutting staff, canceling contracts and grants, and shutting down databases and research laboratories. The agency, long considered a global leader in climate science and forecasting, has lost roughly 20% of its staff since January 2025.
Impact on weather service
The National Weather Service, which sits within Noaa, has also been affected. Weather stations have had to delay data collection and reduce operating hours, and hundreds of meteorological and other technical positions remain vacant across its 122 forecast offices.
severely hampered the country’s capacity to forecast, research and respond to extreme weather events
— former government officials and scientists
