The Lord Mayor’s balloon regatta will NOT fly on Sunday

After coming so close last week, and after several years where bad weather has stymied the attempt to fly hot air balloons over London, this Sunday was looking perfect.

Too perfect.

Sadly, the Lord Mayor’s Balloon Regatta won’t take place as hoped because, ironically, the weather is too nice — at least for sunbathers and picnics, but not balloons.

Usually, the regatta has been cancelled because it was too windy for the balloons, but the weather forecast for this weekend is the opposite, as there’s not enough wind. A lack of wind would mean the balloons would travel too slowly after their lift-off at Battersea and would have taken too long to get out of London’s airspace before planes started wanting to use it again.

This Sunday was the last of the three windows they had reserved to try and fly the balloons, but last year, they were able to try a couple of times in the autumn – and the organisers say they are now discussing if another standby date can be arranged for this year.

Otherwise, we’ll have to wait until next June/July for them to try again.

It’s frustrating, but having seen it before, it’s worth trying and trying and trying until, finally, it happens. And the Lord Mayor will fly over London.

On the upside, we all get a lie-in on Sunday morning.