National Weather Service Halts Multilingual Alerts Over Contract Issue

A lapsed contract with translation provider Lilt has paused automated weather alerts in multiple languages, raising safety concerns for millions of non-English speakers in the U.S.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has paused its automated translation services due to a contract lapse with artificial intelligence provider Lilt, effective April 1, 2025.
This service previously translated weather alerts into Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, French, and Samoan, providing critical information during extreme weather events.
Experts warn the lack of multilingual alerts could put millions of non-English speakers at heightened risk, especially in regions prone to severe weather like hurricanes and tornadoes.
The contract lapse coincides with federal budget cuts and staffing shortages at NOAA and NWS, stemming from earlier government spending reductions.
Few public alternatives exist for real-time multilingual weather alerts, leaving vulnerable populations reliant on limited private services or local news outlets.