The National Weather Service (NWS) has paused language translations of its weather alerts, a decision that raises concerns for non-English speakers who may miss critical warnings about severe weather. This halt comes after a contract with translation provider Lilt, which used AI for effective translations in multiple languages, expired. Experts argue that this change jeopardizes the safety of millions who rely on these translations, citing incidents where language barriers led to life-threatening situations in past weather events. As federal budget cuts loom, the future of accessible weather information remains uncertain.
Not being able to read urgent weather alerts could be a matter of life or death, said Joseph Trujillo-Falcón, a researcher at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Translated weather alerts saved lives during a deadly tornado outbreak in Kentucky in 2021, emphasizing the critical need for language accessibility in weather communications.
#national-weather-service #language-accessibility #weather-warnings #public-safety #translation-services
Collection
[
|
...
]