WASHINGTON American millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett was forced late Sunday to abandon his bid for a solo round-the-world balloon flight, citing worsening weather conditions in Australia, site of the launch attempt.

Fossett's support team at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, issued a statement saying that "increasingly challenging ground conditions" made any attempt to make the Monday's planned flight risky, AFP reported.

"The risks just became too great," Fossett told a press release.

"I want to begin the flight with a good chance of making it around the world," he said.

Fossett, 57, had been hoping for calm weather late Monday to begin his sixth solo attempt to circumnavigate the earth from a launch site near the town of Northam, 100 kilometers (65 miles) east of Perth.

Fossett chose the Northam site after his team became frustrated with unfavorable weather conditions at their original location in the gold-mining town of Kalgoorlie, 650km (400 miles) east of here.

Members of Fossett's support team in Missouri said that early forecasts had predicted unfavorable launch conditions through at least Wednesday, but said they would continue to monitor the weather in hope of an improvement.

Freak winds were the main reason for abandoning the Kalgoorlie site. These were responsible for wrecking an earlier attempt on June 17, when strong wind gusts toppled helium canisters and ripped the balloon's fabric.