U.S. Commerce secretary Howard Lutnick said at a Senate hearing, that NOAA has 'full staff' of weather forecasters and scientist after concerns raised about some offices not having 24-hour staffing before hurricane season.

"We have a full staff of forecasters and scientist." "Under no circumstances will I allow public safety or public weather forecasting to be compromised," Lutnick said, telling a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees NOAA. He also claimed he had gotten the National Weather Service excluded from a federal hiring ban.

NOAA, which includes NWS, has lost 600 people, or 10%, of its workforce in the first month of the second Trump Administration, due to federal job cuts. At least six NWS office had stopped the twice-daily weather balloon launches which collect data for forecasting models. (Reporting from Valerie Volcovici).

(source: Reuters)