Solar Impulse 2 delayed due to bad weather ahead of challenging next leg

The plane arrived in Mandalay, Myanmar, from Varanasi, India, over a week ago, where its pilots have been waiting for the bad weather to clear up before setting off for Chongqing, China.

The Solar Impulse 2 team hope to set off for China on Sunday. Ajit Solanki

ABU DHABI // The next leg of the Solar Impulse 2 round-the-world flight attempt has been delayed due to bad weather over China.

The solar-powered plane arrived in Mandalay, Myanmar, from Varanasi, India, over a week ago, where its pilots have been waiting for the bad weather to clear up before setting off for Chongqing, China.

A tentative departure date has now been set for Sunday, for what is expected to be one of the most challenging stages of the trip thus far.

The flight — an estimated 1,375km journey expected to take roughly 20 hours — will expose the plane and its pilot to extremely cold weather conditions.

With the flight path running parallel to the Himalayas, the temperature in the cockpit is expected to drop to -20°C.

Since being received by Myanmar president Thein Sein a week ago, the Solar Impulse team — including co-founders and pilots Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg — have been promoting the use of environmentally sustainable energy.

The plane is powered by 17,000 solar cells built into the wings, which enables it to fly day and night without fossil fuels.

A 150-strong team works on the ground to support the plane in its 35,000km journey.

The crew aim to return the Solar Impulse 2 to Abu Dhabi by late July or early August, after completing its circumnavigation of the globe.