Wind Thwarts Weather Balloon Launch, to Meteorologist's Dismay

Windy conditions thwarted a weather balloon launch on November 1, much to the dismay of a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Caribou, Maine.

In a video posted to Twitter, a meteorologist carries a weather balloon into the parking lot of the NWS office as winds whip and pull the balloon from his hand. The balloon then whizzes toward the camera and hits a light pole, smashing the data-collection instrument attached to the balloon.

The meteorologist then holds his head in his hands.

The NWS said that the sonde, a battery-powered instrument that measures atmospheric pressure, was destroyed in the incident. It said the winds at the time were 20 mph gusting to 35 mph.

“Weather balloon launches are difficult when it’s windy,” the caption said. Credit: NWS Caribou via Storyful