Does anyone know if they have ever cancelled the fireworks either for too much rain or even too much wind?

As far as I know, only England 2003 came close to cancellation due to high winds - a display has never been called off for heavy rains. Severe thunderstorms can also prompt a show in being canceled/delayed. Lightning in the area, regardless of the severity of the thunderstorm, however, should be considered enough to call for either a delay or a cancellation depending on persistence.

Trav.

Never in the history of the competition has there been a weather-related cancellation. The only thing that could cancel a display would be strong winds. As for lightning, don't forget the display last year with the fabulous lightning bolts during it:


Paul.

As for lightning, don't forget the display last year with the fabulous lightning bolts during it

Those were actually streak lightning discharges racing across the sky, such as the one in the photo above.

Don't worry, I didn't forget that night with the severe weather (I never will) - it was actually the one I was referring to. While it is quite a spectacle when lightning joins forces with a fireworks display, it is also, of course, dangerous to be outdoors during a thunderstorm altogether (that goes for any outdoor event). This is primarily why it would be the responsible thing to do for the organizers to postpone a display until the lightning, if any, has either stopped completely or is at a safe distance from the site(s) where everyone is stationed.

Nevertheless, the lightning images that Robert Burch captured that night were excellent.

Trav.

There was a USA show that was jeopardised many years ago. The show wasn't cancelled but because of the heavy ionisation in the air, the wireless firing system was affected. Several shells detonated as early as a half hour before the show due to some kind of electrical discharge. Once they figured out what was going on, they disconnected the main circuit and only reconnected it a few minutes before showtime.

On other occasions some shows have been delayed - as long as 40 minutes - while waiting for weather conditions to improve.

There was a USA show that was jeopardised many years ago. The show wasn't cancelled but because of the heavy ionisation in the air, the wireless firing system was affected.

This had also occurred before and during the performance of Italy 1994 when a powerful thunderstorm was present. Normally, when a thunderstorm moves over a given area, the air becomes increasingly ionized between the cloud and the ground when the electric field is strong. The surface inherets a ubiquitous distribution of positive charges and conversely more negative charges are found along the lower regions of the storm. When the electrical potential energy gradient between the opposing charges builds to sufficient levels, the insulating properties of the air breaks down and a powerful CG (cloud to ground) lightning bolt eventually forms. I'm not too certain whether it was in fact this building energy that had directly interfered with the firing system at the time, but I was convinced that it was related when numerous shells were set off early before the display had started as lightning discharges were close to the area.

Though no display has ever been canceled due to weather, I wouldn't say it is impossible for one to be postponed altogether because of it - England 2003, for example, came very close to that happening. A few displays in the past, too, have gone on when lightning (on some occasions, fairly intense lightning) was overhead, or close to the area, instead of being delayed until storms moved off at a relatively safe distance. I can understand a fireworks display expected to continue or to be fired in rain or heavy rain, but certainly not with an overhead thunderstorm (regardless of severity).

Thank you for your excellent pictures, by the way, Robert.

Trav.