CHICAGO (NewsNation) — Officials from the National Weather Service are on alert after an anti-government group publicly made threats against radar installations across the country.

Known as NEXRAD sites, or Next Generation Weather Radar, they are essential tools for meteorologists to monitor and forecast severe weather.

Extremist group Veterans on Patrol claims NEXRAD installations contain military-operated “weather weapons” that are “poisoning the skies.”

The group has not detailed how it intends to target the sites, but its founder, Michael “Lewis Arthur” Meyer, publicly posted a response to the Washington Post on the messaging app Telegram.

Meyer said the group plans to “take as many NexRads offline as possible.” He added that he has “full authority” to do so.

In response, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the NWS, issued an internal warning advising employees to stay vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.

“NOAA is aware of recent threats against NEXRAD weather radar sites and is working with other authorities in monitoring the situation closely,” a spokesperson told NewsNation.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has classified Veterans on Patrol as an anti-government militia. The group has claimed it is watching radar sites in several states and is allegedly exploring ways to disable the equipment.

These developments come at a challenging time for the National Weather Service, which has been operating under severe staffing shortages. Roughly one-third of its positions remain unfilled following a wave of layoffs initiated by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency.