A satellite positioned to track severe weather in the eastern United States has failed, just before the start of the Atlantic hurricane season.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration activated a spare satellite, which will provide coverage of the east coast while it tries to fix the failed one.
"There is no estimate on return to operations at this time," the agency said on its website on Friday.
The satellite, GOES-13, was launched in 2006. First signs of trouble surfaced late Wednesday when it failed to relay expected images.
The Atlantic-Caribbean hurricane season starts on 1 June and lasts six months. NOAA expects this season to be extremely active.
