Overview

• The agency lost over 560 employees to layoffs and early retirements earlier this year, forcing some forecast centers to reduce hours or drop overnight shifts
• Permission to recruit roughly 125 meteorologists and specialists follows a temporary lift of the federal hiring freeze for the National Weather Service
• NOAA announced plans to transfer about 155 employees to fill critical roles in understaffed forecast centers across Kansas, California and the Midwest
• Additional staff are expected to boost the number of weather balloon launches, which have declined due to personnel shortages and underpin forecast models
• Critics warn that remaining shortfalls could still slow tornado warning lead times and leave coverage gaps with hurricane season already underway