Hungary’s weather service to be restructured after top officials fired

The National Meteorological Service (OMSZ) has been gradually turning into an information supplier over the last twenty years and research activities, much needed for the transformation of Hungary’s energy systems, has been losing priority, the minister of technology and industry said on Friday.

László Palkovics told a roving conference of the OMSZ in Szeged, in southern Hungary, that he had proposed the organisation’s restructuring, and setting up a national meteorological and climate research service with an increased number of staff. Some 2 billion forints (EUR 4.9m) will be allocated by 2027 for the restructuring project, he added.

In response to a question concerning his recent decision to fire the OMSZ’s leader and her deputy following the postponement of the August 20 fireworks based on a forecast of rain by the organisation, he said he did not want to work together with them in the new structure of the service. At the same time, he said “nothing else is ruled out”.

A local MTI correspondent reported that around one hundred peaceful protesters were waiting for the minister in front of the Szeged University building where the meeting was held.

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The minister said a so-called energy transition strategy has been drawn up with the aim of helping Hungary move away from fossil fuels to an electricity-based energy mix. The problem, however, he said, was that Hungary currently lacks storage capacity, though the country’s photovoltaic capacity will double within a few years from the current 6GW.