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K4 wave buoy daily means for Aug 2012

Daily means from the K4 wave buoy for Aug 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

643 wave-buoy observations covered all 31 days. Typical wave height was 6.6 ft (10th–90th percentile 3.9–12.8 ft), while mean reported wave period; measurement type unavailable was 6 seconds (10th–90th percentile 5–7 seconds). Typical wind was 16.1 mph (10th–90th percentile 7.1–26.5 mph) and mean water temperature was 15°C (10th–90th percentile 14.4–15.5°C). All 3,215 checked values passed quality control. Across 2 comparable years, mean wave height was above the same-month mean of 6.1 ft and mean wave period was below the same-month mean of 6.1 seconds.

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

Typical Wave Height

6.6ft
Mean: 7.5 ft
P10–P90: 3.9 — 12.8 ft
Recorded extremes

2.6 — 23.6 ft

Mean Wave Period

6secs
P10–P90: 5 — 7secs
Recorded extremes

4 — 10secs

Mean Water Temperature

15°C
P10–P90: 14.4 — 15.5°C
Recorded extremes

13.7 — 16.2°C

Typical Wind

Variable, 16.1mph
Mean: 16.7 mph
P10–P90: 7.1 — 26.5 mph
Recorded extremes

2.3 — 43.7 mph

Circular concentration: 27%

Compared With Previous Augusts

Historical baseline from 1,455 observations across 2 years.

Wave Height
7.5ft
1.4ft above mean
Historical mean 6.1ft
Wave Period
6s
0.1s below mean
Historical mean 6.1s
Water Temperature
15°C
0.9°C above mean
Historical mean 14.1°C

Chart showing grouped wave observations for K4. 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 K4 wave buoy

K4 (WMO 62105) is a UK Met Office buoy in the North Atlantic northwest of Ireland. Its remote position samples weather and sea conditions moving towards northern UK and Irish waters. The international station feed can include wind, pressure, temperature and wave observations, although the reported parameters vary with sensor availability.

Metrics are rows; days run left to right.
K4 wave buoy daily means Aug 2012Last observation shown
Metric
Mean wave height (ft)9117754343454558107798596556171214109
Mean observed period(s)6Reported6Reported6Reported5Reported5Reported5Reported5Reported6Reported6Reported6Reported5Reported5Reported6Reported6Reported5Reported6Reported7Reported6Reported6Reported6Reported5Reported6Reported6Reported6Reported6Reported5Reported8Reported7Reported8Reported8Reported7Reported
Mean wave power(kW/m)-------------------------------
Mean wind directionSSWconcentration 87%SEconcentration 91%NEconcentration 87%Nconcentration 98%Nconcentration 96%WNWconcentration 98%Econcentration 70%Econcentration 98%Sconcentration 70%Econcentration 97%ESEconcentration 96%SEconcentration 91%Variableconcentration 22%Sconcentration 88%Econcentration 98%SSEconcentration 85%SEconcentration 99%SSEconcentration 93%SSEconcentration 99%SSWconcentration 97%SSWconcentration 89%Wconcentration 98%Sconcentration 65%NEconcentration 89%Nconcentration 92%SSEconcentration 98%SWconcentration 82%SSWconcentration 66%NNEconcentration 85%Wconcentration 68%SWconcentration 95%
Mean wind speed (mph)2424211914109971214911122321141322181419101211223122221321
Mean water temperature(°C)14.614.514.414.414.514.714.714.815.115.315.115.315.815.715.515.115.115.215.315.315.315.515.415.515.315.314.814.614.313.914.1

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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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