Postcard-sized country flags affixed to each forecaster's desk -- ultramarine and gold for Barbados, the red-white-and-blue bars of Paraguay -- stand out among the drab workstations at a US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration complex outside Washington, DC.
They represent just some of the dozens of nations that have sent their scientists to be trained by US experts since NOAA started its International Desks in 1988. Today, the program is a crucial source of American soft power, providing free data and expertise to countries desperate for high-quality forecasts as climate change brings the weather to new extremes. But NOAA's influence and funding are under threat as Donald Trump prepares to return to office, creating an opening for a new global leader: China.