Hungary sacks Met chief after wrong forecast forces annual festivities' cancellation

In what seems to be a first, a weather service chief has been sacked for a wrong weather forecast. Hungarian government ousted the head of its national weather service and her deputy for delaying fireworks over fear of storms, which eventually didn't occur.

The fireworks were to take place in the capital, Budapest but were cancelled post the prediction of thunderstorms and windgusts.

After the storms missed the capital, Hungarian minister Lazlo Palkovics relieved the National Meteorological Service president Kornelia Radics and her deputy chief Gyula Horvath.

The weather agency later issued an apology citing "a factor of uncertainty inherent in the profession."

The ire was a result of a political row propelled by the Opposition leaders who had called for the cancellation of fireworks event.

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The Saturday celebrations with fireworks were billed as the biggest in Europe to mark Hungary's millenial state. The opposing leaders protested the celebrations calling it as\ waste of money citing dwindling economy and Ukraine war.