⚠️This fact has been debunked
This is a myth based on real proposals that never became law. In 2005, Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov threatened to impose fines on the Moscow Weather Bureau, and in 2016, State Duma member Sergei Ivanov proposed legislation to fine meteorologists for inaccurate forecasts. However, neither proposal was enacted into actual law. The story has persisted as an urban legend about Russian bureaucracy.
Moscow weathermen can be fined for inaccurate weather forecasting!
Can Russian Weathermen Be Fined for Bad Forecasts?
The internet loves a good story about bureaucratic absurdity, and the tale of Russian weathermen being fined for wrong forecasts is a perfect example. But here's the twist: it never actually happened.
This persistent myth stems from two very real—and very frustrated—Russian officials who threatened meteorologists, but never followed through with actual legislation.
The Mayor Who Blamed the Weather Bureau
In February 2005, Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov had reached his breaking point with the city's weather service. After what he considered yet another botched forecast, he announced that the Moscow Weather Bureau would receive no more funding until it signed an agreement allowing the city to impose penalties for inaccurate predictions.
The weather bureau insisted it was 94% accurate. Luzhkov wasn't buying it. He reportedly used some colorful language at a weekly government meeting to express his displeasure. But despite the tough talk, no fines were ever actually implemented.
This was classic Luzhkov, a mayor famous for his ambitious weather control schemes. He regularly used cloud seeding to prevent rain during major Moscow events, so holding forecasters financially accountable probably seemed reasonable to him.
A Lawmaker's Failed Proposal
Fast forward to 2016, when State Duma member Sergei Ivanov submitted draft legislation to actually make weather forecast fines a reality. His proposal included a detailed penalty system:
- 1,000-10,000 rubles ($15-$150) for temperature errors over 5°C
- 15,000 rubles ($225) for errors of 10°C
- Up to 20,000 rubles ($300) for errors of 11°C or more
- Up to 50 hours of community service for incorrect precipitation forecasts
Ivanov claimed bad meteorology was "damaging Russia's economy" by leaving public works crews unprepared. But here's the catch: the bill never passed.
And there's another twist. Ivanov was known for satirical legislation. In 2013, he introduced a bill to ban garlic—which he later admitted was a joke meant to mock the Duma's tendency toward "draconian laws." Whether the weather forecast bill was similarly tongue-in-cheek remains unclear, but it certainly never became law.
Why the Myth Persists
The story endures because it sounds plausible. Russia's bureaucracy is legendary, weather forecasting is notoriously difficult, and the idea of punishing meteorologists for the unpredictable taps into universal frustrations with weather apps that promise sunshine and deliver rain.
But meteorology isn't fortune-telling. Modern forecasts are remarkably accurate in the short term—typically 90% correct for 1-3 day predictions—but weather systems are chaotic. Tiny changes in atmospheric conditions can produce wildly different outcomes, especially beyond a week out.
Penalizing forecasters for nature's unpredictability would be like fining seismologists for not predicting earthquakes. It might feel satisfying when you're caught in unexpected rain, but it fundamentally misunderstands how science works.
The Bottom Line
So can Moscow weathermen be fined for inaccurate forecasts? No. They were threatened with fines twice—once by an angry mayor and once by a lawmaker with a history of satirical legislation—but neither threat materialized into actual law.
It's a great story. It's just not true.