The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officially opened a weather and climate prediction centre at the University of Maryland in College Park on 15 October.
The 268,000 square foot building will house more than 800 employees of NOAA’s Center for Weather and Climate Prediction. Scientists working there will provide a range of services, including predicting the hurricane season and forecasting ocean currents and large-scale rain and snow storms, according to NOAA.