Stormy Weather May Challenge Wallenda's Walk Atop Orlando Eye 400 Feet Above the Ground

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

April 28,2015; 8:44PM,EDT

 

Nik Wallenda walks over the Chicago River uphill nearly eight stories for Discovery Channel's Skyscraper Live with Nik Wallenda on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014. (Jean-Marc Giboux/AP Images for Discovery Communications)
An unsettled and stormy weather pattern will challenge plans for Nik Wallenda, who will attempt to walk atop a 400-foot-high observation wheel, called the Orlando Eye, on Wednesday morning.
The Orlando Eye will spin at 1 mph during the attempt to walk along 6-inch wide beams connecting four gondolas, according to ABC.
High-wire performer Nik Wallenda announces his latest stunt at the 400-foot-high Orlando Eye, during a news conference, in New York, Monday, April 13, 2015. Wallenda says he'll walk untethered on top of an Orlando, Florida, observation wheel on April 29. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
He will have to negotiate support bars getting to the first beam and successive beams along the way that support each gondola, Wallenda said in a press conference.
The obstacles will prevent the use of a balancing pole during the approximate four- to five-minute walk.
"Winds are not typically a huge threat, but without a balancing pole winds will be more of a threat," Wallenda said.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected to move through the Orlando area during Wednesday morning, following locally severe storms on Tuesday. Gusts between 30 and 50 mph are possible in the vicinity of storms on Wednesday.

While some natural breaks in the stormy pattern can occur during the first part of Wednesday, the random nature of the showers and storms could force a delay or postponement until Thursday, which is the alternate day for the walk.
According to AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Becky Elliott, "The bulk of the rain will have pushed off to the east by daybreak on Wednesday, but there will still be scattered showers and thunderstorms around during the morning hours."
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"The radar will need to be monitored closely for the spotty showers that can produce a locally heavy downpour," Elliott said.
In the absence of any storms, winds from the west are expected to average 10-15 mph with muggy conditions on Wednesday morning.
If torrential downpours are in the area and would disrupt the view of spectators, then he will likely postpone the walk, Wallenda said. Thunderstorms in the vicinity would also be a problem.
"Lightning is a no-go," Wallenda said.
Much of Thursday is forecast to be free of rain in the Orlando area with winds generally under 10 mph during the morning hours. Thursday morning will be several degrees cooler and less humid, when compared to Wednesday.
The Orlando Eye is slated to open to the public on May 4, 2015.