Extreme athlete and skydiver Felix Baumgartner yesterday postponed his planned death-defying 37-kilometre free fall into the New Mexico desert because of high winds.

The 43-year-old former military parachutist from Austria had hoped to become the first skydiver to break the sound barrier and shatter three other world records.

But the weather yesterday forced his team to call off his planned ascent in a 55-storey, ultra-thin helium balloon that was to take him to the stratosphere.

Because the balloon is so delicate, it could only take flight if winds were 2mph or below.

Among the risks: any contact with the capsule on his exit could have torn the pressurised suit. A rip could have exposed him to a lack of oxygen and temperatures as low as -70°C. It could have caused potentially lethal bubbles to form in his bodily fluids, a condition known as “boiling blood”.

Meteorologists say tomorrow now looks to be next best day for a record bid.