The terminations come days before a potential severe weather outbreak early next week in the southeast United States — and just months ahead of the next Atlantic hurricane season.

It's not clear how many people working at the National Weather Center lost their jobs, but news of the mass firings broke late Thursday afternoon.

New layoffs under the Trump administration have hit NOAA, including the National Weather Service, with 5% of employees fired. NBC News' Bill Karins reports on the potential impact on severe weather warnings.

The Commerce Department has begun laying off potentially hundreds of NOAA employees, many with specialized skills who work at one of the world's top climate science and weather forecasting agencies. Why it matters: The National Oceanics and Atmospherics Administration is responsible for providing weather watches and warnings,