UPDATE: Met Service releases official statement about suspended Twitter Account

A social media storm is brewing on Twitter after the official Twitter account for the Meteorological Service of Jamaica was ordered closed by management after an apparent disagreement with North East St. Elizabeth Member of Parliament and Deputy General Secretary for the People’s National Party Raymond Pryce. The fallout started due to a disagreement over whether climate change was indeed happening and provable scientifically.

Jamaica was experiencing drought conditions for many months until mid May when the traditionally rainy month brought numerous days of heavy rain which ended the drought. As is usually the case when there is a heavy downpour sections of the island were negatively affected.

Below is transcript of the Twitter conversation between MP Pryce and the Met Office Rep and the messages related to the closure of the Met Service’s Twitter account (typographical errors such as the date the account was closed are present). The closure of the account has not gone down well with many Twitter users as many Jamaicans at home and overseas use the social media link daily to keep up to date on the weather and to ask questions directly to the Met Office. Was the Met Service right to close down its Twitter account? Do you believe that the tweets directed at the politician were instrumentally in the closure of the account? What are your personal thoughts on Climate change? Is it really happening or myth? Leave a comment below or tweet us @Geezam.

@jevon_minto@MetserviceJA The inability of the watersheds to absorb the volume of water, the preceding drought ALL connected (1/2) — Raymond Pryce (@RaymondPryce1) May 20, 2014

@jevon_minto @MetserviceJA (2/2) Conclusion: enough with taking these matters for granted. Time for action is ALREADY. — Raymond Pryce (@RaymondPryce1) May 20, 2014

@RaymondPryce1 @MetserviceJA Well Metservice is seemingly saying otherwise – whose the expert here? — Jevon Minto, Sr (@jevon_minto) May 20, 2014

@jevon_minto @MetserviceJA become your own expert … do the research … http://t.co/CcMPsFQiXx many other sources you obtain on line — Raymond Pryce (@RaymondPryce1) May 20, 2014

@jevon_minto @MetserviceJA become your own expert … do the research … http://t.co/mDfxUQ5X0U many other sources you CAN obtain on line — Raymond Pryce (@RaymondPryce1) May 20, 2014

@jevon_minto @RaymondPryce1n asking if the rain is as a result of manmade global warming…no. Climate change? No 100mm has happened before. — MetServiceJA (@MetserviceJA) May 20, 2014

@MetserviceJA @RaymondPryce1 please see above statement by MET — Jevon Minto, Sr (@jevon_minto) May 20, 2014

@jevon_minto @RaymondPryce1 we have seen similar damage with half the rainfall amount. — MetServiceJA (@MetserviceJA) May 20, 2014

@jevon_minto @MetserviceJA you surely cannot be suggesting the observed outcomes of yesterday’s downpour are hmm #ClimateNormal ??? — Raymond Pryce (@RaymondPryce1) May 20, 2014

@RaymondPryce1 @jevon_minto 100mm of rainfall is easily achieved in a couple days in May, August, September, October. — MetServiceJA (@MetserviceJA) May 20, 2014

@RaymondPryce1 The outcomes of the activity are NOT the result of the climate. The outcomes are the result of poor planning and decisions. — MetServiceJA (@MetserviceJA) May 20, 2014

@RaymondPryce1 the road work should have started and been completed long before the season started. The road washing away was more to do … — MetServiceJA (@MetserviceJA) May 20, 2014

@RaymondPryce1 with its construction. The same amounts happened in St. Mary at the same time with different results. Stop blaming climate. — MetServiceJA (@MetserviceJA) May 20, 2014

@jevon_minto @RaymondPryce1 Parts of St. Ann recorded totals of up to 125mm in three days. Parts of Portland recorded 80mm in two days. — MetServiceJA (@MetserviceJA) May 20, 2014

@jevon_minto @RaymondPryce1 Jamaica is fundamentally defined as LAND OF WOOD AND WATER and it is so for a reason. — MetServiceJA (@MetserviceJA) May 20, 2014

@jevon_minto @RaymondPryce1 The definition as we all know precedes all theories on Climate Change. Climate Change couldn’t be responsible. — MetServiceJA (@MetserviceJA) May 20, 2014

Followers, please be advised that as of Mar 26, 2014, the Twitter account held by the Met Service of Jamaica, has been ordered closed. — MetServiceJA (@MetserviceJA) May 26, 2014

Under decision by management, it has been advised that these are the instructions until further notice. — MetServiceJA (@MetserviceJA) May 26, 2014

Feel free to contact us through our usual channels via telephone at 924-8404 and 924-8055. The NMC will respond to all further requests. — MetServiceJA (@MetserviceJA) May 26, 2014

UPDATE: Met Service releases official statement about suspended Twitter Account