A Russian lawmaker wants to impose fines for inaccurate weather reports

Sergei Ivanov, a member of the Russian State Duma, submitted new draft legislation earlier today, proposing fines for broadcasting inaccurate weather forecasts.

If the forecast's error is more than 5º Celsius away from the actual temperature, Ivanov wants penalties to range from 1,000 rubles to 10,000 rubles ($15 to $150). For forecasts that get the weather wrong by 10ºC, fines would rise to 15,000 rubles ($225). Forecasts off by 11ºC or more would be punishable by up to 20,000 rubles ($300).

Ivanov says bad meteorology is responsible for “damaging Russia's economy” (for example, he says, public works crews are left unprepared for necessary cleanup operations, following certain types of weather). He says he hopes stricter regulations would compel weather reporters to be more responsible about their work.

“Disseminating through the mass media weather forecasts that contain unreliable information about winds and weather conditions (rain, snow, hail, ice, fog) will result in up to 50 hours of compulsory community service to remedy the consequences of the weather conditions that were not [correctly] predicted,” the law's explanatory note says.

TJournal

• Ivanov is famous for introducing legislation in April 2013 that would have banned garlic. He said the bill was intended as a joke meant to satirize the Duma's “draconian laws,” and he soon withdrew the proposal.