By Tim Binnall
A strange scandal erupted in Hungary this week wherein the head of the country's national weather service found herself out of a job after the department issued an incorrect forecast that forced the cancellation of a massive fireworks show. The odd controversy reportedly began on Saturday when the Hungarian National Meteorological Service indicated that thunderstorms were expected to sweep over Budapest that day. This proved to be problematic as the city was hosting a celebration highlighted by what was being promoted as the biggest fireworks display in all of Europe.
Fearing that the storms might disrupt the proceedings, officials postponed the event, which caused something of a firestorm when the expected inclement weather never materialized. While the weather service subsequently issued a statement in which they apologized for the wrong forecast and attributed the error to "uncertainty inherent in the profession," it would seem that the mea culpa was not enough for some critics in the country. To that end, one media outlet seemingly accused the department of purposely providing a "misleading" forecast, presumably to scuttle the fireworks show, which had been denounced in some quarters as a waste of money.
The furor over the forecast flop and the curious conspiracy theory that it spawned ultimately reached a head on Monday when Hungarian NMS head Kornelia Radics was fired along with her deputy Gyula Horvath. Although no specific reason was given for their dismissal, the two being relieved of their duties is undoubtedly due to the snafu over the weekend. Given the harsh response to the meteorological service's miscalculation, one can only imagine what might have come of the pair had they forecast pleasant weather and wound up with thunderstorms drenching the event instead.