The federal National Weather Service (NWS) has announced it has “paused” its automated language translation service “due to a contract lapse” with translation company LILT. The firm had been translating NWS forecasts, including storm warnings, into Spanish, simplified Chinese and three other languages.
Newsweek contacted the NWS and LILT for comment via email on Wednesday outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Since assuming office on January 20, the second Donald Trump administration has sought to crack down on illegal immigration and prioritize the English language, with the president signing an executive order declaring English to be the official language of the United States for the first time.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was created under the leadership of tech billionaire Elon Musk with the goal of slashing what they regard as wasteful federal government spending. It has overseen the mass firing of federal employees on their probational periods, though this is facing legal challenge, and the gutting of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) which Trump is seeking to close down altogether.
What To Know
In an update published on Wednesday, the NWS said: “Due to a contract lapse, NWS paused the automatic translation services for our products until further notice.”
The contract with LILT ended at midnight on Tuesday after the NWS allowed it to expire, according to Bloomberg News. Citing “people familiar with the matter,” who weren’t authorized to speak publicly, the publication said the NWS does not plan to replace LILT with another translation service.
A message on the NWS translation website, which still shows some updates, states: “The translated text product functionality on this site may be interrupted after 3/31/2025. Further details will be provided when available.”
KENA BETANCUR/AFP/GETTY
The website initially provided translations into Spanish and simplified Chinese, using AI provided by LILT, and this was later extended to include Vietnamese, Samoan and French.
The NWS initially signed up for a $5.8 million contract lasting five years with an option to extend each spring. According to Bloomberg, in 2024 it paid just under $1.1 million for the product.
LILT translations had been provided for around 30 cities and metropolitan areas, including Los Angeles and Miami, and covered daily updates as well as storm and flood alerts, hurricane advisories and red flag fire weather warnings.
The NWS has already reduced the number of weather balloon launches it conducts in response to staff shortages, following a series of departmental cuts overseen by DOGE, sparking safety concerns.
What People Are Saying
In a statement released in October 2023 after the contract was announced, LILT said: “From day one, LILT has been on a mission to make the world’s information available to everyone, irrespective of language. We believe that language should never be a barrier to survival. We could not be more proud and aligned with the National Weather Service to ensure that all people have access to lifesaving weather warnings and forecasts.”
At the time, NWS director Ken Graham said: “This language translation project will improve our service equity to traditionally underserved and vulnerable populations that have limited English proficiency.
“By providing weather forecasts and warnings in multiple languages, the NWS will improve community and individual readiness and resilience as climate change drives more extreme weather events.”
What Happens Next
It is unclear at this stage whether the LILT contract expiring is part of a deliberate move to stop translating NWS forecasts and warnings, or whether an alternative means of doing so will be found.