The Meteorology Department has said that all its officers serving in the Weather Forecasting Division have fulfilled all employment requirements and that no one has been recruited outside of the eligibility criteria.

Following several parties, including media outlets, claiming that the department has recruited individuals who have not completed the required education qualifications, deviating from its prescribed recruiting procedures, the department’s Director General Dr. Athula Karunanayake yesterday (30) said that none of its weather forecasters is under-qualified and that they are recruited according to standard procedures. 

When The Daily Morning queried him further in this regard, Karunanayake said that almost all forecasters are qualified in this particular discipline. “We saw that some parties have claimed that the department has employed under-qualified weather forecasters, which has, in turn, allegedly led to the continuous failures in the department’s weather forecasting. Some reports have claimed that the highest qualification that our officers have is the Ordinary Level Exam. We vehemently deny such false allegations which could discourage our officers and tarnish the reputation of our department,” he said. 

He added that only individuals who have obtained a bachelor’s or master’s degree in physics or mathematics are recruited as weather forecasters and that those who are selected are required to fulfil certain other qualifications as well. Therefore, he said that only eligible persons can secure this position. He noted that only degree holders are recruited for most positions in the department and that individuals who are not eligible will not be able to continue in their positions for long unless they are qualified since the department is not politically controlled.

The controversy arose when numerous parties blamed the department for its continuous failures in forecasting weather, even during times of weather hazards, which have caused an adverse effect on the country’s agriculture and economy. People also blamed them for not being informed of the recent drought that took place in the middle of this year (2023).