In the latest wave of federal workforce reductions, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has dismissed hundreds of meteorologists. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the country’s leading climate research agency, has been significantly affected by these job cuts.

On Thursday afternoon, the U.S. Department of Commerce notified NOAA employees via email that their employment would be terminated by the end of the day. These layoffs are part of a broader trend of workforce reductions across various government agencies in recent weeks. According to CBS News, BBC’s U.S. partner, around 880 employees, including weather forecasters, were let go on Thursday alone.

The layoffs followed ongoing budget-cutting efforts led by Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). A NOAA spokesperson declined to comment on the internal personnel matters. However, according to the agency’s website, before Thursday’s dismissals, NOAA had approximately 12,000 employees worldwide, including 6,773 scientists and engineers. Another NOAA representative assured that despite the layoffs, the agency would continue providing weather data, forecasts, and warnings as part of its public safety mission.

The mass dismissal of climate researchers has sparked outrage among policymakers and environmentalists. Democratic Congressman Jared Huffman from California criticized the move, stating, "The American people rely on NOAA for accurate forecasts, weather alerts, and emergency information—especially during extreme weather events. Musk’s disgraceful mission is shutting down critical programs."

Miyoko Sakashita, Director of the Center for Biological Diversity, expressed concerns that these layoffs would disrupt NOAA’s “essential life-saving programs.”

The decision to terminate numerous probationary employees has also faced legal scrutiny. A federal judge in San Francisco ruled that the large-scale dismissal of inexperienced employees was unlawful. On Thursday, Judge William Alsup of the California federal court issued a temporary order halting Trump’s directive for widespread job cuts.

During a hearing, Judge Alsup noted that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) had sent emails on January 20 and February 14, instructing agencies to identify and lay off non-essential probationary employees. However, the judge ruled that federal agencies lack the authority to dismiss employees—especially those with less than a year of experience—without proper justification. Consequently, he ordered the immediate cancellation of the termination emails.