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3d ago

National Weather Service Restores Multilingual Alerts After Contract Renewal

Translation services, paused earlier this month, will resume by April 28 to ensure critical weather warnings reach non-English speakers.

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FILE - Kayakers paddle on the floodwaters at the Buffalo Trace Distillery on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry, File)
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
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Overview

  • The National Weather Service reinstated its contract with AI provider Lilt to resume translating weather alerts into Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, French, and Samoan.
  • The translations, paused in early April due to a contract lapse, are expected to resume by the end of the day on April 28, 2025.
  • Nearly 68 million U.S. residents speak a language other than English at home, highlighting the importance of multilingual alerts for public safety.
  • Experts warn that the temporary halt in translations increased risks for non-English speakers during severe weather events like tornadoes and hurricanes.
  • Budget cuts and staffing challenges at NOAA, the NWS's parent agency, have strained resources, underscoring the need for scalable AI-driven solutions.