Weather Forecast Causes Storms, Rainbows Banned

Michael Hedges August 29, 2022 - Follow on Twitter

Unusual, dramatic weather events have affected all parts of the world of late. News providers, broadcast and otherwise, are very attuned to public interest. While once buried deep in the evening TV newscast, weather reports - even from distant locales - have moved to the top of the hour. For most listeners, viewers and readers, self-interest prevails; how to plan or how to get out of the way.

The rescheduled St. Stephen’s Day fireworks extravaganza took place along the Danube in Budapest, Hungary Saturday (August 27). The heavily promoted event had been pushed back a week due to weather threats, heavy rain and storms. Alas, those storms never materialized in the Budapest area. Most Hungarians took this in stride; weather events have become more unpredictable.

Others needed to place blame. State TV M1 News anchor Boglárka Meszes took to the airwaves the next day (August 21) to excoriate the Hungarian National Meteorological Service (OMSZ), saying the TV channel’s forecast had been correct, even using an edited version of the forecast in question. A plethora of state media outlets, official and otherwise, roundly blamed the OMSZ. “The (state) media supported by public money distorts reality with quotes taken out of contest,” explained independent news portal Telex (August 23), “but this is hardly surprising in 2022.”

Taking up the mantle of blame, Minister of Technology and Industry László Palkovics fired OMSZ president Kornélia Radics and deputy president Gyula Horváth, two meteorology professionals, with immediate effect. A replacement with no scientific or meteorology experience was named from the finance department. A few days later (August 26) Minister Palkovics held a briefing for the Hungarian Meteorological Society to explain it all. No reporters were allowed. He took a moment to praise prime minister Viktor Orban for ordering a reorganization of OMSZ in 2006 after a severe August thunderstorm struck Budapest - another fireworks display - resulting in five deaths. Another reorganization of OMSZ will soon commence, said Minister Palkovics.

Tamás Allaga, meteorologist with privately owned television broadcaster RTL, offered a rather technical explanation (August 22). “There is a good chance that on August 20, 2022, the cold vortex that finally brought the desired rain split unexpectedly, but this has not yet been reflected in the measurements.” He noted that forecasters could have benefitted from more balloons being sent aloft. “For a really accurate analysis and forecast, many more balloons would be needed.” He would not be drawn into the investigation “still ongoing.”

International scientific group Climate Without Borders members, including media weather forecasters, issued a statement supporting their fired colleagues (August 25). “Our forecasts are sometimes imperfect and often unpopular but, like our Hungarian colleagues, we put people before politics.” Not resisting to point at a culprit, the National Association of Hungarian Journalists (MUOSZ) fired at state TV “choosing a shameless brazen way of discrediting itself in the campaign launched against OMSZ,” quoted by Klubradio (August 25). “By falsifying their own meteorological forecast, a day later they referred to the August 20 forecast as if it did not include the reference to rain nor stormy winds, as if they knew there would be neither rain nor stormy winds.”

Opposition politicians also seized the messaging opportunity. “If the (Fidesz) Party wants good weather, then it will be good weather,” retorted the opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) political grouping, quoted by independent news portal 24 HU (August 25). “If the (Fidesz) Party wants a trade wind, then a trade wind will blow. From now on, cyclones, cumulus clouds and cold fronts can always be expected from Brussels and the imperialist West, while good weather will always come from the East as soon as Viktor Orban gives permission for some good weather. Of course, the orange alert can finally be abolished, with which the meteorologists have been trying to discredit the (Fidesz) Party for years at the behest of (George) Soros, and of course there will never be a rainbow again, it is just as much a Western thing as expertise and meteorology.” Cheeky.

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