New Delhi, March 2 — Recent layoffs at the U.S. climate agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), have sparked alarm among scientists and policymakers in India. Experts warn that any reduction in NOAA’s weather observation data could severely affect crucial weather forecasts, including monsoon predictions and cyclone tracking.
Last week, hundreds of federal NOAA employees, including meteorologists responsible for critical local forecasts in national weather service offices, were laid off. Many of those affected were on probationary status.
"We are concerned," said M Ravichandran, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. "If NOAA reduces its observations, there will be significant implications for weather forecasts. Reduced ocean observations lead to less data for assimilation, which in turn lowers predictability."
Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute for Tropical Meteorology, described the layoffs as a "global crisis" that could undermine climate science worldwide. NOAA provides vital data and forecasting models used for weather-climate monitoring, disaster preparedness, and predictions across the globe.
"For India, NOAA’s models are integral to monsoon forecasts, cyclone tracking, and climate projections," Koll, who is also an author of reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), explained. He emphasized that the layoffs not only affect the U.S. but are a significant blow to global climate science and action.
A significant portion of the Indian Ocean's observational network is backed by NOAA, and Koll warned that without this support, early warnings for extreme weather events such as floods, heatwaves, and storms would be weakened—posing a heightened risk to millions of people.
In fact, some meteorologists have already received notifications from NOAA contacts, revealing that the agency can no longer continue its work as usual due to the layoffs.
"This goes beyond a mere budget cut; it represents a direct threat to global climate resilience, research, and preparedness. The world cannot afford to lose NOAA’s vital role," Koll, a recipient of the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar, added.
India has made significant strides in ocean observation, deploying argo floats, moored buoys, and drifting buoys to aid weather forecasting models. While many of these instruments are in the Indian Ocean, NOAA also operates similar tools across the world's oceans.
Koll highlighted the importance of international collaboration in climate research: "Monitoring across global oceans is essential to predict India's weather and climate, but no single country can handle this responsibility alone."
As the global climate community grapples with the fallout from NOAA's layoffs, experts are calling for urgent action to maintain robust climate monitoring systems and ensure that critical data and forecasts continue to flow.
Last week, hundreds of federal NOAA employees, including meteorologists responsible for critical local forecasts in national weather service offices, were laid off. Many of those affected were on probationary status.
"We are concerned," said M Ravichandran, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. "If NOAA reduces its observations, there will be significant implications for weather forecasts. Reduced ocean observations lead to less data for assimilation, which in turn lowers predictability."
Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute for Tropical Meteorology, described the layoffs as a "global crisis" that could undermine climate science worldwide. NOAA provides vital data and forecasting models used for weather-climate monitoring, disaster preparedness, and predictions across the globe.
"For India, NOAA’s models are integral to monsoon forecasts, cyclone tracking, and climate projections," Koll, who is also an author of reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), explained. He emphasized that the layoffs not only affect the U.S. but are a significant blow to global climate science and action.
A significant portion of the Indian Ocean's observational network is backed by NOAA, and Koll warned that without this support, early warnings for extreme weather events such as floods, heatwaves, and storms would be weakened—posing a heightened risk to millions of people.
In fact, some meteorologists have already received notifications from NOAA contacts, revealing that the agency can no longer continue its work as usual due to the layoffs.
"This goes beyond a mere budget cut; it represents a direct threat to global climate resilience, research, and preparedness. The world cannot afford to lose NOAA’s vital role," Koll, a recipient of the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar, added.
India has made significant strides in ocean observation, deploying argo floats, moored buoys, and drifting buoys to aid weather forecasting models. While many of these instruments are in the Indian Ocean, NOAA also operates similar tools across the world's oceans.
Koll highlighted the importance of international collaboration in climate research: "Monitoring across global oceans is essential to predict India's weather and climate, but no single country can handle this responsibility alone."
As the global climate community grapples with the fallout from NOAA's layoffs, experts are calling for urgent action to maintain robust climate monitoring systems and ensure that critical data and forecasts continue to flow.
Last updated by a enewsx: