Postponed will not be lifted: The fireworks in Budapest on the occasion of the National Day on August 20, which were canceled due to an incorrect weather forecast, are now being made good. Saturday was chosen as the new date. Traffic restrictions and safety measures have already been extended. Opposition efforts to completely cancel the traditional spectacle have failed.
The canceled event had international resonance – especially as the head of the meteorological authority OMSZ and her deputy had to resign. Her agency had predicted a 75 to 80 percent chance of a severe thunderstorm in Budapest on August 20. That is why Zoltan Kovacs, Secretary of State for International Communications and Chief of Operations Staff responsible for the holiday, has canceled the fireworks. However, the storm did not come. As a result, media close to the right-wing populist government accused the weather service of having prevented the fireworks with “false” information.
Storms had caused a serious accident at the Budapest fireworks 16 years ago: five people died and more than 300 were injured when a thunderstorm broke out during the pyrotechnic spectacle on August 20, 2006, and panic erupted among 1.5 million spectators. Since then, the government has decided whether the fireworks will continue based on the weather forecast. Incidentally, the forecast for Saturday looks much better. There would be partly cloudy weather, but the chance of rain is not very high from today’s perspective.
Minister speaks about several grievances
In a statement to the online portal mandiner.hu, the responsible minister, Laszlo Palkovics, denied that the lead roles at the top of the meteorological authority were related to the fireworks. Palkovics said on Wednesday that there were a number of grievances in the organization. However, the government “will not interfere in the work of the OMSZ in the future,” assured the Minister of Technology and Industry. Postscript: “We have excellent meteorologists.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
