President of the National Meteorological Service (NMS) Hungary and her deputy were fired today, two days later, because of her bad weather As they predicted, fireworks in Budapest on the occasion of the country’s national holiday were cancelled.

Cornelia Radic and Jula Horváth were fired by the Minister of Technology and Industry, Laszlo Palkovic, to whom NMS is subordinate. The ministry’s announcement provides no explanation for this decision.

But yesterday, pro-government media criticized the weather service for predicting thunderstorms and gusty winds that canceled the Saturday celebration.

“They gave misleading information about the severity of the weather, leading to bad security decisions,” commented online newspaper Origo.

In 2006, Hungary remained in mourning after a storm during festivities killed five people and injured hundreds, causing panic among crowds who had gathered to watch the spectacle on the banks of the Danube.

On Sunday, NMS apologized, citing the “uncertainty factor” that is “inherent in the meteorological profession” for the error.

Reacting to the dismissal of the scientists, liberal András Fekete-Gyor joked in a Facebook post: “They didn’t get the weather they wanted, they threw them out. No, we do not live in a Central Asian dictatorship. This is Hungary Fidesz, the ruling party.

The event, billed as “the largest in Europe”, with fireworks dedicated to the thousand-year history of the Hungarian state, was rescheduled for August 27. In July, the opposition called for its total abolition, citing “a waste of money” at a time when Viktor Orban’s government is demanding citizens make an effort to overcome the difficult economic situation.

^{Source: APE-MEB, AFP.}