Kicker: An inexact science

NICK EICHER, HOST: Even with today’s technology, trying to predict the weather is always—let us say, an inexact science.

That’s something two now-unemployed Hungarian weathermen understand all too well.

The government on Saturday had planned what it called “Europe’s biggest fireworks display” last Saturday along the Danube River.

Some 40,000 fireworks were locked and loaded. But the national weather service postponed the event just hours before, warning that extreme weather was on the way.

But then the storm didn’t show up. It ended up missing the capital city completely.

And the government was furious and an official fired the head and deputy head of the country’s weather service.

The government now hopes to hold the fireworks display this Saturday. And the weather service staff that remains, good news: there’s no rain in the forecast.

It’s The World and Everything in It.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.