US Department of Defense will stop sending critical hurricane satellite data
- Reference: 1751042054
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/06/27/us_hurricane_satellite_data_to_stop/
- Source link:
The data in question comes from the US Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), and the termination was announced via a [1]notice from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
US govt hiding top hurricane forecast model sparks outrage after deadly Helene [2]READ MORE
The decision was made by the US Department of Defense (DoD) and affects data collected by the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS) instrument as well as other Near-Earth Space Weather instruments on three of the US Air Force DMSP satellites: F-16, F-17, and F-18. A fourth satellite, F-19, was also part of the fleet, but failed in 2016. The other three are long past their expected lifespans, yet have continued collecting data.
Or at least they will do until the DoD pulls the plug next week.
It is unclear why the department is so abruptly terminating the service, particularly since there does not appear to be a replacement planned. The notice said, "This service change and termination will be permanent." Some observers have [3]suggested that DoD security concerns are to blame. Others have pointed to a general antipathy toward climate science in the current US regime.
[4]
Either way, the data loss will blow a substantial hole in the hurricane forecasting capabilities of scientists.
[5]
[6]
In a [7]post on Elon Musk's social media mouthpiece, X, atmospheric scientist Matthew Cappucci wrote, "The SSMIS satellite are extremely important; as a forecaster, I use them constantly. The microwave satellite imagery allows us to peer under the overcast of a storm, probing the inner structure of a tropical cyclone. It's especially important at night. Visible and infrared satellite imagery capture cloud top details, but not what's happening *inside* a named storm.
"By resolving changes in a cyclone's inner structure, we're able to see how a storm is evolving – and potentially rapidly strengthening. The absence of this data creates an enormous hole in hurricane forecasting."
[8]Here's the ugliest global-warming chart you'll ever need to see
[9]Severe solar storm could disrupt power, communications
[10]Nvidia's latest AI climate model takes aim at severe weather
[11]NOAA, Microsoft partner to put climate models in the clouds
Having far exceeded their original mission life, the satellites have arguably been on borrowed time. The Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) satellite was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in 2024, but, [12]according to Hurricane Specialist and Storm Surge Expert Michael Lowry, "that data isn't currently available to forecasters and it's not clear if or when data access will be permitted.
"The immediate discontinuation of data from 3 weather satellites will severely impact hurricane forecasts this season and beyond."
[13]
Cappucci noted that there were other satellites that provide the microwave data, "but this means we'll have much less data to work with and much less frequently... in other words, the frequency of scans will be cut in half. This means we may go many hours without microwave data." ®
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[1] https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/messages/2025/06/MSG_20250625_1735.html
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/01/government_hurricane_forecast_secrecy/
[3] https://michaelrlowry.substack.com/p/critical-hurricane-forecast-tool
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aF8UeF6-MsYpXT5Ifr0NxQAAAYs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aF8UeF6-MsYpXT5Ifr0NxQAAAYs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aF8UeF6-MsYpXT5Ifr0NxQAAAYs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://x.com/MatthewCappucci/status/1938256214330413429
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/23/ugliest_global_warming_chart/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/09/g4_solar_storm/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/19/nvidia_ai_weather/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/01/noaa_microsoft_cloud_weather/
[12] https://x.com/MichaelRLowry/status/1938224533476917484
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aF8UeF6-MsYpXT5Ifr0NxQAAAYs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: There isn't a hurricane on the way
You're one of those sheeple aren't you. There's no such thing as weather, it's just a way for communist scientists to control us, duh.
(Hope I don't need a /s)
Re: There isn't a hurricane on the way
Its all right, don't panic. God will protect the land of the free now they are ridding thenseves of Queer, Trans, Imigrant Commies.
Weather only happens to deviants. Now, what is the definition a deviant?
Re: There isn't a hurricane on the way
And theres no evil FEMA forcing you into 'recovery' camps and asking which way you vote before giving democrat supporters $700
All hail the idiot king.
Krasnov
If you were running the US government on behalf of Russian interests, this is exactly the kind of move you’d make: degrade critical civilian infrastructure, hobble disaster preparedness, and do it under the thinnest bureaucratic excuse possible. Cutting off high-value satellite data during hurricane season, with no replacement and zero transparency, isn’t just negligent - it’s hostile.
Who benefits when US hurricane forecasts get dumber, slower, and less reliable? Certainly not coastal Americans. But it sure helps anyone looking to showcase US dysfunction, sabotage global climate science cooperation, or stir up domestic chaos after a preventable disaster.
And what better way to do it than cloaking the decision in "security concerns" while letting aging satellites rot and new ones remain unused - textbook sabotage by omission. The collapse doesn’t need to be loud. It just needs to look like “cost-cutting.”
Re: Krasnov
Who benefits when US hurricane forecasts get dumber, slower, and less reliable?
Not just US hurricane forecasts, the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting and other meteorological organisations will have been using data from those satellites too.
Re: Krasnov
What's even crazier is that to a one, all those "coastal" states affected by severe hurricanes in the US vote republican. He's screwing his own people. But as far as the ones in those states who actually did vote for him, I have no sympathy. We tried to warn you what Trump was and you didn't listen. Now you will live (or not) with the consequences of your vote.
And since he's basically dismantled FEMA they won't get any help after the storm. And once the "big beautiful bill" passes a lot of hospitals in those states that are only kept going via Medicaid funding will be closing so if they get injured they might have a long ambulance ride to take them to the nearest hospital, and be out of pocket for it if they rely on Medicaid but are one of the 16 million who will be dropped to save money for tax cuts for billionaires.
Elections matter
77,302,580 people voted 1 for this, whether they knew it or not, and a substantial portion of them are living along the Eastern Seaboard and the Gulf Coast.
It's a good thing there's no such thing as karma .
_____________
1 [1]Wikipedia: 2024 United States presidential election
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidential_election
Re: Elections matter
It's a good thing there's no such thing as karma.
There is on Reddit. . . .
If the Buddhists are right, there is karma, but the payoff in this case doesn't come quickly enough.
There isn't a hurricane on the way
Well, that's what I think Mr Fish said.
I realise that some people do not believe in Global Warming, but surely they understand that weather still happens anyway?