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K4 wave buoy daily means for Dec 2016

Daily means from the K4 wave buoy for Dec 2016, 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

716 wave-buoy observations covered all 31 days. Typical wave height was 16.7 ft (10th–90th percentile 7.2–27.6 ft), while mean reported wave period; measurement type unavailable was 8.4 seconds (10th–90th percentile 6–10.1 seconds). Typical wind was 26.4 mph (10th–90th percentile 12.8–36.9 mph) and mean water temperature was 11.1°C (10th–90th percentile 10.8–11.3°C). 83 of 3,580 checked values (2.3%) were excluded by quality control. Across 6 comparable years, mean wave height was above the same-month mean of 16 ft and mean wave period was the same as the same-month mean of 8.4 seconds.

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

Typical Wave Height

16.7ft
Mean: 17.2 ft
P10–P90: 7.2 — 27.6 ft
Recorded extremes

0 — 36.4 ft

Available for 701 of 716 hourly samples

Mean Wave Period

8.4secs
P10–P90: 6 — 10.1secs
Recorded extremes

3 — 13secs

Available for 700 of 716 hourly samples

Mean Water Temperature

11.1°C
P10–P90: 10.8 — 11.3°C
Recorded extremes

10.7 — 11.6°C

Typical Wind

SSW, 26.4mph
Mean: 25 mph
P10–P90: 12.8 — 36.9 mph
Recorded extremes

0 — 50.8 mph

Circular concentration: 46%

Available for 664 of 716 hourly samples

Compared With Previous Decembers

Historical baseline from 4,373 observations across 6 years.

Wave Height
17.2ft
1.2ft above mean
Historical mean 16ft
Wave Period
8.4s
In line with the historical mean
Historical mean 8.4s
Water Temperature
11.1°C
0.1°C above mean
Historical mean 11°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 Dec 2016Last observation shown
Metric
Mean wave height (ft)77787111213QC rejectedQC rejected131411152321171519252828292525241817181818
Mean observed period(s)8Reported6Reported6Reported6Reported6Reported7Reported7Reported7Reported9Reported9Reported7Reported9Reported8Reported8Reported10Reported11Reported8Reported7Reported9Reported10Reported10Reported11Reported10Reported10Reported10Reported10Reported8Reported8Reported9Reported8Reported9Reported
Mean wave power(kW/m)-------------------------------
Mean wind directionSconcentration 61%SEconcentration 64%SEconcentration 90%ESEconcentration 86%ESEconcentration 77%SSEconcentration 71%SSWconcentration 46%SSWconcentration 55%SSWconcentration 77%WSWconcentration 91%SSWconcentration 84%Variableconcentration 25%SEconcentration 64%SWconcentration 69%SSWconcentration 42%WSWconcentration 90%SSWconcentration 75%Sconcentration 58%Wconcentration 77%SWconcentration 54%Wconcentration 93%Wconcentration 75%WSWconcentration 63%Wconcentration 64%Wconcentration 78%Wconcentration 71%Sconcentration 56%SSWconcentration 64%SSWconcentration 82%SWconcentration 84%WNWconcentration 68%
Mean wind speed (mph)10141718172718213627231521273019313020293527382936272829283124
Mean water temperature(°C)11.511.411.411.311.211.211.311.311.311.211.211.211.211.111.111.111.011.111.011.010.910.910.810.810.810.810.810.810.810.810.7

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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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