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Brittany wave buoy daily means for Dec 2012

Daily means from the Brittany wave buoy for Dec 2012, including available wave height, period, direction, wind and sea temperature data.

Last observation shown

Data available:  to 

Monthly means for

Latest

Period Summary

Programmatically generated summary. Hog Says

607 wave-buoy observations covered all 31 days. Typical wave height was 12.1 ft (10th–90th percentile 7.2–19 ft), while mean reported wave period; measurement type unavailable was 7.7 seconds (10th–90th percentile 6–9 seconds). Typical wind was 21.9 mph (10th–90th percentile 8.1–30 mph) and mean water temperature was 12.8°C (10th–90th percentile 12.5–13.3°C). 12 of 2,977 checked values (0.4%) were excluded by quality control. Across 2 comparable years, mean wave height was below the same-month mean of 16.8 ft and mean wave period was below the same-month mean of 9.4 seconds.

Generated only from the observations and comparisons shown on this page.

Typical Wave Height

12.1ft
Mean: 12.5 ft
P10–P90: 7.2 — 19 ft
Recorded extremes

3.6 — 24.9 ft

Available for 595 of 607 hourly samples

Mean Wave Period

7.7secs
P10–P90: 6 — 9secs
Recorded extremes

5 — 11secs

Available for 597 of 607 hourly samples

Mean Water Temperature

12.8°C
P10–P90: 12.5 — 13.3°C
Recorded extremes

12.3 — 13.4°C

Available for 597 of 607 hourly samples

Typical Wind

WSW, 21.9mph
Mean: 20.6 mph
P10–P90: 8.1 — 30 mph
Recorded extremes

2.2 — 39.1 mph

Circular concentration: 44%

Available for 581 of 607 hourly samples

Compared With Previous Decembers

Historical baseline from 1,481 observations across 2 years.

Wave Height
12.5ft
4.3ft below mean
Historical mean 16.8ft
Wave Period
7.7s
1.7s below mean
Historical mean 9.4s
Water Temperature
12.8°C
In line with the historical mean
Historical mean 12.8°C

Chart showing grouped wave observations for Brittany. Use the table on this page for a text version of the same measurements. To open hourly observations, use a linked day name in the table.

About Brittany wave buoy

Brittany buoy (WMO 62163) is maintained jointly by the UK Met Office and Météo-France in the Bay of Biscay. Its exposed position west of Brittany monitors Atlantic conditions approaching western France and the western entrance to the English Channel. The international feed can include wind, pressure, temperature and wave observations when available.

Metrics are rows; days run left to right.
Brittany wave buoy daily means Dec 2012Last observation shown
Metric
Mean wave height (ft)12813161591194591011132022191010131215141216131916211817
Mean observed period(s)8Reported6Reported8Reported8Reported8Reported8Reported7Reported7Reported7Reported8Reported6Reported6Reported8Reported7Reported9Reported10Reported9Reported7Reported7Reported8Reported8Reported7Reported9Reported7Reported8Reported7Reported8Reported8Reported9Reported9Reported9Reported
Mean wave power(kW/m)-------------------------------
Mean wind directionNconcentration 89%Wconcentration 97%Wconcentration 93%WNWconcentration 98%NNWconcentration 79%Sconcentration 67%NNWconcentration 98%NNEconcentration 87%SSWconcentration 48%ESEconcentration 85%SEconcentration 98%SSEconcentration 91%SSWconcentration 81%WSWconcentration 94%WSWconcentration 99%WSWconcentration 97%Wconcentration 100%Sconcentration 81%SSWconcentration 75%WSWconcentration 93%SSWconcentration 55%SWconcentration 98%SSEconcentration 34%SWconcentration 99%Wconcentration 95%WSWconcentration 94%Wconcentration 96%SSWconcentration 99%WSWconcentration 85%WSWconcentration 98%WSWconcentration 93%
Mean wind speed (mph)152125281914221159242517252929251916211630142326272530332521
Mean water temperature(°C)13.313.413.313.213.113.113.013.012.912.912.912.912.712.812.712.712.712.712.712.712.612.612.512.512.412.412.412.312.412.312.4

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Wave metric colour key

Colours move through the scale as each number increases. They do not by themselves mean that conditions are good, safe or suitable for you.

Wave & swell height0–40+ ft
Wave & swell period0–22+ s
Wind speed0–75 mph

The displayed numbers remain the source of truth; colour is an additional visual cue.

Which wave period is shown?

The table shows the best period measurement supplied for each observation. It is not necessarily the energy period used to calculate wave power.

Tp
Peak period: the period at the strongest spectral peak.
Tavg
The provider's average wave period.
Tm02
A mean period calculated from the wave spectrum.
Tz
Mean zero-crossing period.
Reported
A legacy value whose period type was not recorded.
Mixed
A daily or monthly mean containing more than one period type.

Wave power needs a genuine energy period (Te). SurfHog does not substitute Tp, Tavg, Tm02 or Tz when Te is missing.

What does buoy wave power mean?

kW/m means kilowatts of wave power per metre of wave crest. It describes the rate at which the observed sea state carries energy past the buoy.

Unlike the shore-directed forecast value, buoy wave power is the total power at the observation point. It is not projected towards a particular beach and does not predict breaking wave height.

In deep water, wave power can be calculated with:

P is approximately 0.49 times significant wave height squared times wave energy period.

P is power in kW/m, Hs is significant wave height in metres, and Te is wave energy period in seconds.

  • Provider-reported power is used when available.
  • Otherwise, a value is calculated only when both significant height and a genuine energy period are available. The ≈ symbol marks calculated values.
  • A dash is shown instead of substituting peak, Tm02, zero-crossing or other period measurements.
  • Daily and monthly figures use the mean of hourly-normalized observation power values; they are not calculated from mean height and period.

Wave direction, spectrum, water depth and local bathymetry still matter. Wave power is best read alongside height, period and direction rather than as a standalone surf-quality score.

The observation data displayed on this page is from the UK Met Office.

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