Trump cuts to weather data could make forecasts less reliable, warn experts
Summary
Experts warn that cuts to weather and climate data programs under President Trump's administration could reduce the accuracy of US weather forecasts. Although NOAA has introduced new AI-based forecasting models, these need extensive data to work well, but data collection efforts and climate research have been reduced.Key Facts
- President Trump's administration proposed a 40% cut to NOAA’s overall budget, despite a modest increase for the National Weather Service.
- NOAA launched AI-powered global weather forecast models trained with centuries of weather data to improve forecast accuracy.
- Experts say that cutting data collection programs harms the ability of AI models to predict weather accurately.
- Staff cuts have reduced NOAA’s ability to operate satellites, weather balloons, ocean buoys, and land sensors.
- Traditional physics-based models simulate weather using mathematical equations, while AI models identify patterns from past data.
- AI models have difficulty predicting extreme weather events because they rely on historical data, which may not reflect new climate patterns.
- Research and funding for climate science and data analysis have been reduced under the current administration.
- The US is preparing for a potentially active hurricane season and record-breaking heat due to a "super El Niño."
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