WASHINGTON (TNND) — The cutoff of key satellite data needed for hurricane forecasting has been delayed by one month, until July 31, according to a message from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Monday.

Earlier this month, NOAA said it would discontinue the “ingest, processing and distribution” of data collected by three weather satellites that the agency jointly runs with the Defense Department.

The move comes in the middle of hurricane season and the wake of cuts at the National Weather Service and other departments of NOAA.

A reason for the cut wasn't immediately clear but NOAA spokesperson Kim Doster, in a statement, called it “routine process of data rotation and replacement” and said that the remaining data sources “are fully capable of providing a complete set of cutting-edge data and models that ensure the gold-standard weather forecasting the American people deserve.”

Traditional visible or infrared satellites provide data that becomes images showing the structure, intensity and temperature of a storm, according to NOAA information, along with features such as lightning. But those miss the three-dimensional details of a storm. The microwave data gives critical information that can't be gleaned from the conventional satellites, and helps peer under a regular image of a hurricane or a tropical cyclone to see what is going on inside of it. It is especially helpful at night.

Microwave imagery allows researchers and forecasters to see the center of the storm. Experts say that can help in detecting the rapid intensification of storms and in more accurately plotting the likely path of dangerous weather.

The Atlantic hurricane season lasts until Nov. 30 and 2025 was predicted to be above average. Based on past records, the historic peak of hurricane season is between mid-August and mid-October.

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Editor's note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.