In one month, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its National Hurricane Center (NHC) will lose access to critical satellite data that let meteorologists see in the eye of a storm. This marks the newest blow to the agency’s predictive skills while a hurricane season begins.
In an abrupt move that blinded meteorologists and public officials on Wednesday, June 25, the fleet -number meteorology and oceanographic center of the navy (FNMOC) announced It closed the data processing of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) on June 30 due to a “significant” cybersecurity risk. Owned by the Defense Department (Dod), DMSP veteran satellites have provided critical storm data since the 1960s.
The decision led to outrage of meteorologists and public officials, as it would cut off their access to all DMSP data and could significantly degrade predictive accuracy right in the beginning of a hurricane season. After pressure from NASA and NASA officials, FNMOC delayed the stop until July 31, according to NOAA Message Divided Monday, June 30.
“Late on Friday, June 27, [the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC)] Received a request from Dr. Germain with NASA to delay the removal and continue processing and distribution
This will give NHC and the NHC a few more weeks to prepare for the loss, but it is not clear as it will look. Currently there is no plan to resume the flow of DMSP Reports. NOAA has publicly supported that the change will no effect The quality of hurricane -forecasting and that there are many other sources of hurricane data that will enable predictive accuracy this season. Gizmodo reached the public relations offices at the NHC, DoD, US Air Force and US Navy for comment, but did not receive a response before the release.
The main purpose of DMSP veteran satellites is to support military operations, but meteorologists have used their data for general weather forecast and tracking storm for over 50 years. These satellites capture microwave images of hurricanes with a convenient instrument called the special sensor microwave image sound, or SSMIS. This tool acts as a 3D radiography, looking through the clouds to reveal the internal structures of tropical storms and hurricanes. Observing changes to the eye and glass of the storm – a ring of high thunderstorms surrounding the eye and produce heavy rainfall as well as the strongest winds – can tell meteorologists whether a storm is getting stronger or weakening. Having this information draws them attention to major changes as fast intensifying hours before they appear in other data streams. Thus, these satellites are essential to understanding the possible impact of a storm and give officials time to warn people along its path.
“Certainly it is one of the more important data sources we have because it provides a unique database,” James Franklin, a former head of the NHC specialist unit, a specialist unit, told Scientific American. “It’s the only way to really see through clouds and understand the organizational structure of the core of developing cyclone.”
Fast intensification is noticeably difficult to predict, but capturing it ahead of time is critical, as it dramatically increases the scope of the impact of a hurricane. One example of this is Hurricane Milton, who made a landing in Florida on October 9, 2024. Within just 24 hours, this storm strengthened From Category 1 to Category 5, destroying the West Coast of the State.
Losing access to DMSP data will make the fast intensification even more difficult for NHC meteorologists, and this is not the first storm tracking tool they lost this year. Earlier this month, it turned out that NOAA would not use saildrones this -uragal season. These drone ships sail directly into storms to collect real -time data that forecasters use to predict their strength and path. Like DMSP satellites, saiDrons are particularly useful for spotting early signs of rapid intensification. NOAA has trusted them for the past four years, but this year the California company has been “unable to offer” a NOAA contract, a spokesman for the Keely Belva agency spokesman told Gizmodo in an email.
All this adds to growing concerns about NOAA’s readiness for a hurricane season, which officially began on June 1 and ends on 30 November. The Agency predicts that this season will be activewith six to 10 storms expected to strengthen hurricanes. Of these, three to five could become “main” hurricanes – Category 3, 4 or 5 since President Donald Trump took office, Noah has faced Sweep staff cuts, subsidy freezes, and travel and training restrictions. Understanding the lock -track -track agency will add to this stress.
Despite the disorder, NOAA -representatives Say They are ready. Other experts disagree. “This decision will kill people,” Hurricane Explorer Jimmy Yunge wrote in a message to the NOAA satellite office and product operations expressing concern about the loss of DMSP data. “It will lead to millions, if not billions, $ in further damage to an event.”
