Balloons at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade may not fly due to strong winds

Strong winds are threatening to ground the iconic giant balloons at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, according to CNN.

The National Weather Service is currently forecasting sustained winds of 35 km/h and wind gusts of nearly 63 km/h during the parade in New York City.

SpongeBob SquarePants floats above 6th Avenue during the 92nd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 22, 2018, in New York. [File Photo: AFP/DON EMMERT]

Regulations say the winds are slightly above the threshold at which the balloons can safely fly. Officials set rules on balloon size and wind speeds after a Cat in the Hat balloon injured four people during the parade in 1997, the CNN report says.

Balloon characters of Snoopy, SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary, Pikachu and Olaf are all part of this year's squad.