Pacific storms ground solar plane on round-the-world trip

Solar Impulse 2 has been forced to delay its landmark crossing of the Pacific Ocean by making an unscheduled stop in the Japanese city of Nagoya on Monday due to bad weather on its planned route to Hawaii.

 

 AFP photo / Solar Impulse | This handout photo taken by the Solar Impulse project shows the solar-powered plane taking off from Nanjing's Lukou International Airport on May 31

"Weather deteriorating over Pacific, decision taken for intermediate landing in Nagoya and wait for better conditions," Bertrand Piccard, the initiator of the , tweeted on Monday.

The Swiss-made solar-powered aircraft set off from Abu Dhabi in March on an unprecedented round-the-world journey it hopes to complete in five months.

It left the Chinese city of Nanjing early on May 31 en route to Hawaii -- the seventh and  of its epic tour powered only by the sun.

The team behind Solar Impulse 2, which has more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings, hopes to promote green energy with its circumnavigation attempt.

Ridiculed by the aviation industry when it was first unveiled, the venture has since been hailed around the world, including by UN chief Ban Ki-moon.