The Hungarian government has fired the chief of the country’s weather forecasting service after an incorrect forecast on Saturday.
The chief and her deputy were both fired after a major holiday firework display in Budapest to celebrate St Stephen’s Day was postponed due to extreme weather warnings.
However, the extreme weather never materialised and both Dr Kornelia Radics and Gyula Horvath of the National Meteorological Agency (NMS) were fired by the technology and industry minister Laszlo Palkovics.
Read More: Met Eireann says 'fresh' weather to arrive as rain remains in two isolated areas
Dr Radics served in her post since 2013, while Horvath has since 2016.
In an update on Facebook on Sunday, the NMS said that the “least likely happened,” before adding that uncertainty is part of the profession.
They apologised for any inconvenience in their forecast.
In an update today, the NMS noted a “serious amount of political pressure,” saying that the service is a professional institution, not a political one.
The statement said: “Our firm position is that despite significant decision-making pressure, the colleagues of the NMS have done the best of their knowledge and are not responsible for any alleged or real damage.”
The statement also called for the reinstatement of Kornelia Radics and Gyula Horvath.
The firework display is planned to go ahead on Saturday.
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