Overview

• 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.