Last night, 3rd July at 1AM GMT, David Hempleman Adams departed St John’s, Canada in a gas-helium balloon in a bid to cross the northern Atlantic.

The 3425 km journey could take four days, depending on weather conditions, which will cause sleep deprivation and extreme fatigue in temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees.

Hempleman-Adams, the first man to fly to the North Pole in a balloon, will be attempting to set a new FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) world record in distance. He will be flying in an open wicker basket, no bigger than a coffee table, open to the elements.