The National Weather Service is set to restart the translation of its materials for those who do not speak English.
This service was temporarily halted earlier this month due to the expiration of a contract with the translation provider.
Experts have expressed concern that this pause could endanger non-English speakers who might miss crucial warnings about severe weather conditions that could potentially save lives.
Fortunately, the weather service announced on Thursday that the contract has been renewed, allowing the translation process to resume by the end of Monday.
Lilt, an artificial intelligence firm, took over the translation duties in late 2023. This was in place of the previous manual translation efforts, which the weather service noted were both time-consuming and unsustainable.
Under the new system, translations were offered in a variety of languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, French, and Samoan.
According to data from the 2019 Census, nearly 68 million individuals in the United States communicate primarily in a language other than English at home.
Among these, approximately 42 million speak Spanish.
Translating weather information is crucial during severe weather events, but routine weather forecasts are also important for various sectors such as tourism, transportation, and energy, according to experts.
The parent organization of the weather service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, faced significant staff and budget reductions during the Trump administration.