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K4 wave buoy daily means for Apr 2017

Daily means from the K4 wave buoy for Apr 2017, 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

691 wave-buoy observations covered all 30 days. Typical wave height was 8.9 ft (10th–90th percentile 5.6–15.1 ft), while mean reported wave period; measurement type unavailable was 6.9 seconds (10th–90th percentile 6–8.9 seconds). Typical wind was 16.1 mph (10th–90th percentile 5.8–25.3 mph) and mean water temperature was 10.7°C (10th–90th percentile 10.5–11°C). 95 of 3,455 checked values (2.7%) were excluded by quality control. Across 7 comparable years, mean wave height was below the same-month mean of 10.1 ft and mean wave period was below the same-month mean of 7.2 seconds.

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

Typical Wave Height

8.9ft
Mean: 9.4 ft
P10–P90: 5.6 — 15.1 ft
Recorded extremes

0 — 22.6 ft

Available for 656 of 691 hourly samples

Mean Wave Period

6.9secs
P10–P90: 6 — 8.9secs
Recorded extremes

5 — 11secs

Available for 652 of 691 hourly samples

Mean Water Temperature

10.7°C
P10–P90: 10.5 — 11°C
Recorded extremes

10.4 — 11.7°C

Available for 689 of 691 hourly samples

Typical Wind

W, 16.1mph
Mean: 16.1 mph
P10–P90: 5.8 — 25.3 mph
Recorded extremes

0 — 38 mph

Circular concentration: 48%

Available for 672 of 691 hourly samples

Compared With Previous Aprils

Historical baseline from 4,389 observations across 7 years.

Wave Height
9.4ft
0.7ft below mean
Historical mean 10.1ft
Wave Period
6.9s
0.3s below mean
Historical mean 7.2s
Water Temperature
10.7°C
0.2°C above mean
Historical mean 10.5°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 Apr 2017Last observation shown
Metric
Mean wave height (ft)81016191489991011118798545710769148591313
Mean observed period(s)6Reported6Reported8Reported10Reported9Reported6Reported7Reported7Reported7Reported7Reported7Reported7Reported7Reported6Reported7Reported6Reported6Reported5Reported6Reported7Reported9Reported7Reported7Reported6Reported8Reported7Reported6Reported6Reported8Reported8Reported
Mean wave power(kW/m)------------------------------
Mean wind directionNWconcentration 88%Sconcentration 71%SWconcentration 35%WNWconcentration 78%WSWconcentration 94%SWconcentration 84%SSWconcentration 71%Sconcentration 81%WNWconcentration 79%WNWconcentration 86%Wconcentration 83%NWconcentration 90%WNWconcentration 80%WNWconcentration 91%Wconcentration 81%WNWconcentration 88%Variableconcentration 16%SWconcentration 50%SWconcentration 67%WSWconcentration 92%Wconcentration 74%Wconcentration 96%WNWconcentration 90%Nconcentration 95%Nconcentration 99%NNWconcentration 97%WNWconcentration 64%SSWconcentration 82%Variableconcentration 20%ESEconcentration 94%
Mean wind speed (mph)1625242014171919171725171117161971111139111122221712221116
Mean water temperature(°C)10.710.710.610.610.610.610.610.510.610.510.510.510.610.610.610.610.810.910.910.910.911.011.111.010.710.610.710.610.610.7

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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