Weather forecaster sacked after dodgy report causes cancellation of fireworks

dailystar.co.uk:

forecast wrong and spoiling a fireworks display.Kornelia Radics, head of the Hungarian National Meteorological Service (NMS) was fired, along with her deputy Gyula Horvath two days after a major fireworks display was delayed for fear of storms.The NMS had forecast thunderstorms and high winds in Budapest, Hungary’s capital.READ MORE: Severe weather 'a very serious threat that could impact billions in next five years’As a result the organisers of a fireworks display along the banks of the Danube to celebrate the country’s State Foundation Day on Saturday decided to call it off .However, the promised storms didn’t materialise, meaning the show was cancelled for nothing.

The NMS agency issued an official apology on Sunday, saying there was “a factor of uncertainty inherent in the profession”.Hungarian news site Origo accused the agency of giving “misleading information about the extent of the bad weather, which misled the operation team responsible for security”.

The display was already controversial. The main opposition party had already called for it to be cancelled, saying it was “a useless waste of money” at a time when the country’s economy is struggling, and when Ukraine is at war.

A petition backing the opposition motion collected over 200,000 signatures.To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.A certain amount of caution on the part of the weather forecasters was natural enough.