Severe storms are expected to sweep across Alabama this week, as the National Weather Service undergoes an outage of the radio service that broadcasts key weather information for the region.
The NWS’s office in Birmingham said it will be conducting a “required, scheduled update” to its Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System, which is used to “display and integrate weather and water information and to send life-saving information, such as weather and water warnings, to the public.”
The update is expected to last from May 19 until about May 21, during which time NOAA Weather Radio transmitters maintained by the Birmingham office will be off-air, according to the NWS.
The NWS said it does not anticipate any impacts in providing forecasts, weather advisories, watches or warnings while the software update completes. The radio outage will affect transmitters across northern and central Alabama, including in Winfield, Oneonta, Birmingham, Anniston, Tuscaloosa, Demopolis, Selma, Montgomery, Auburn and Texasville.
The NWS did not immediately reply to a request for comment. It said in a statement online that its forecast office in Birmingham will remain open and staffed while the software update takes place. Forecast operations will also be performed with a backup office in Peachtree City, Georgia, “to minimize any potential interruption to services.”
NOAA Weather Radio is a national network of radio stations that broadcast official forecasts, weather warnings and other information from the National Weather Service. The 24/7 service also broadcasts warnings and information on other types of hazards, including earthquakes, avalanches, oil spills and public safety announcements.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the National Weather Service, said NOAA Weather Radio stations nationwide will be taken out of service for two to three days for necessary updates on a rolling basis through June.
“NWS local offices plan to inform listeners both on-air and on their websites when updates are scheduled,” agency officials said on the NOAA Weather Radio website.
The state is one of several this week that is at risk for severe storms. Thunderstorms on Tuesday, in particular, could produce damaging winds up to 60 mph, large hail and tornadoes across the northwestern and central parts of Alabama.
While this week’s radio outages coincide with bad weather in Alabama, it’s hardly the only state that is forecasted to get walloped with extreme weather.
Around 31 million people are at risk of severe storms Monday within a band of the country that extends from central Texas north to Iowa. Damaging winds, large hail and several strong tornadoes are possible from Monday afternoon through the evening.
On Tuesday, the risk of severe storms will shift slightly, from Louisiana north to Indiana, where large hail, damaging winds and several strong tornadoes will be possible once again.
Meanwhile, a heat wave is bringing temperatures in the upper 90s or triple digits to Texas and parts of Florida early this week.
These warnings come after a violent weekend of storms that resulted in tornado reports in at least 10 different states, including Texas, Kansas, Missouri and Kentucky. At least 28 weather-related deaths were confirmed over the weekend.
The deadly storms struck as NOAA is scrambling to fill crucial forecasting jobs around the country after the Trump administration made deep cuts at the National Weather Service. Critics have said staffing shortages at the NWS could have major public safety consequences, particularly as hurricane season approaches, wildfires ramp up and extreme heat takes hold this summer.
