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Brittany wave buoy daily means for May 2012

Daily means from the Brittany wave buoy for May 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

744 wave-buoy observations covered all 31 days. Typical wave height was 5.9 ft (10th–90th percentile 3.9–8.9 ft), while mean reported wave period; measurement type unavailable was 6.2 seconds (10th–90th percentile 5–7 seconds). Typical wind was 15 mph (10th–90th percentile 6.9–21.9 mph) and mean water temperature was 13°C (10th–90th percentile 12.3–14.2°C). 3 of 3,720 checked values (0.1%) were excluded by quality control. Across 2 comparable years, mean wave height was below the same-month mean of 7.2 ft and mean wave period was below the same-month mean of 7 seconds.

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

Typical Wave Height

5.9ft
Mean: 6 ft
P10–P90: 3.9 — 8.9 ft
Recorded extremes

2.6 — 12.8 ft

Available for 742 of 744 hourly samples

Mean Wave Period

6.2secs
P10–P90: 5 — 7secs
Recorded extremes

5 — 9secs

Mean Water Temperature

13°C
P10–P90: 12.3 — 14.2°C
Recorded extremes

11.9 — 15.5°C

Available for 743 of 744 hourly samples

Typical Wind

Variable, 15mph
Mean: 14.5 mph
P10–P90: 6.9 — 21.9 mph
Recorded extremes

2.3 — 33.4 mph

Circular concentration: 25%

Compared With Previous Mays

Historical baseline from 1,412 observations across 2 years.

Wave Height
6ft
1.2ft below mean
Historical mean 7.2ft
Wave Period
6.2s
0.8s below mean
Historical mean 7s
Water Temperature
13°C
1.5°C below mean
Historical mean 14.5°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 May 2012Last observation shown
Metric
Mean wave height (ft)66544555810676598965446875696444
Mean observed period(s)6Reported6Reported6Reported6Reported6Reported6Reported5Reported6Reported6Reported7Reported6Reported6Reported5Reported6Reported8Reported7Reported7Reported6Reported7Reported6Reported5Reported6Reported8Reported7Reported6Reported6Reported6Reported6Reported6Reported6Reported6Reported
Mean wave power(kW/m)-------------------------------
Mean wind directionSSEconcentration 96%Econcentration 99%Econcentration 98%Econcentration 57%NEconcentration 94%SSEconcentration 70%SSWconcentration 92%Variableconcentration 29%SSWconcentration 98%SWconcentration 88%Nconcentration 86%NEconcentration 99%ENEconcentration 95%WNWconcentration 87%NNWconcentration 94%Econcentration 91%ENEconcentration 43%Wconcentration 98%Variableconcentration 22%Nconcentration 81%WSWconcentration 86%SSWconcentration 95%SSEconcentration 97%Econcentration 95%ENEconcentration 90%SSEconcentration 95%SSEconcentration 92%Sconcentration 98%SSEconcentration 84%SWconcentration 98%Sconcentration 77%
Mean wind speed (mph)16181361014131123191723141216191718610121415141517231711107
Mean water temperature(°C)12.012.212.312.512.512.512.412.412.512.512.512.412.512.712.612.612.612.612.913.313.113.313.413.714.114.213.813.513.914.414.8

Swipe sideways to see more days.

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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