Trump cuts to have ‘chilling effect’ on climate science and ‘degrade’ Australia’s ability to forecast weather

‘Between Nasa and Noaa, if we were to lose the capabilities of one or both of them, we’d be in a pretty dark place literally and figuratively,’ one scientist says. Photograph: Brendan Esposito/EPA

Staff cuts and a freeze on international collaborations at a leading US science agency will have a “chilling effect” on climate science and may “severely degrade” Australia’s ability to accurately forecast the weather, scientists have warned.

The Trump administration fired 880 workers at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) on 27 February, and reportedly plans to cut 1,000 more staff.