Hungary’s weather chief sacked over wrong forecast: Hungary’s top two weather specialists have been sacked following a miscalculated weather forecast that provoked political controversy.
What was advertised as “Europe’s largest fireworks show” had been planned for Saturday evening to commemorate St Stephen’s Day, the national holiday.
However, seven hours before the scheduled start time, the authorities canceled the event, citing strong weather warnings.
Hungary’s weather chief sacked over wrong forecast
The weather, on the other hand, remained calm, resulting in the dismissal of the meteorological service’s chief and deputy chief.
40,000 fireworks were ready to be fired from 240 places along a 5km (3 mile) stretch of the Danube River in central Budapest, in a spectacular that is regularly viewed by up to two million people.
Due to severe weather warnings, the government postponed the event for one week.
However, the rain storm anticipated by the National Meteorological Service reversed course and hit portions of eastern Hungary instead, bypassing the capital city entirely.
On Sunday, the agency issued a public apology on its Facebook page, noting that the “least likely” event occurred and that uncertainty is part of weather forecasting.
But it was too late.
On Monday, Innovation Minister Laszlo Palkovics fired the service leaders with immediate effect.
The reaction in Hungary has been divided.
Nearly 100,000 people had signed a petition requesting for the fireworks to be postponed at a time of war in neighboring Ukraine and austerity at home.
Government supporters, on the other hand, were outraged at the forecasts’ alleged incompetence and hoped the exhibition will now go forward as scheduled next Saturday.
Hungary sacks weather chief after forecast forces fireworks cancellation https://t.co/duft0c5NGr
— The Guardian (@guardian) August 23, 2022
