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M2 wave buoy daily means for May 2011

Daily means from the M2 wave buoy for May 2011, 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

733 wave-buoy observations covered all 31 days. Typical wave height was 3.6 ft (10th–90th percentile 2.1–6.7 ft), while mean peak wave period was 5.2 seconds (10th–90th percentile 3.8–6.9 seconds). Typical wind was 17.3 mph (10th–90th percentile 10.5–24.2 mph) and mean water temperature was 10.5°C (10th–90th percentile 9.4–11.1°C). 1 of 4,010 checked values (0%) were excluded by quality control. Across 1 comparable year, mean wave height was above the same-month mean of 2.4 ft and mean wave period was above the same-month mean of 4 seconds.

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

Typical Significant Wave Height

3.6ft
Mean: 4.1 ft
P10–P90: 2.1 — 6.7 ft
Recorded extremes

1 — 11.3 ft

Available for 732 of 733 hourly samples

Mean Observed Wave Period

5.2secs
P10–P90: 3.8 — 6.9secs
Recorded extremes

2.6 — 9.4secs

Typical Observed Wind

SSW, 17.3mph
Mean: 17.3 mph
P10–P90: 10.5 — 24.2 mph
Recorded extremes

5.2 — 31.4 mph

Circular concentration: 50%

Available for 539 of 733 hourly samples

Mean Water Temperature

10.5°C
P10–P90: 9.4 — 11.1°C
Recorded extremes

8.9 — 11.5°C

Compared With Previous Mays

Historical baseline from 737 observations across 1 year.

Wave Height
4.1ft
1.7ft above mean
Historical mean 2.428ft
Wave Period
5.2s
1.2s above mean
Historical mean 4s
Water Temperature
10.5°C
Not enough comparable data

Chart showing grouped wave observations for M2. 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 M2 wave buoy

M2 (WMO 62091) is part of the Irish Marine Data Buoy Observation Network, managed by the Marine Institute in collaboration with Met Éireann. Moored in the Irish Sea east of Ireland, it provides open-water context for the busy, relatively enclosed waters between the Irish and British coasts.

Its current data source reports wave height, wave period, wave direction, directional spread, wind conditions and sea temperature.

Metrics are rows; days run left to right.
M2 wave buoy daily means May 2011Last observation shown
Metric
Mean significant wave height (ft)6653442466342433233356856644422
Mean maximum wave height (ft)98755636994535453444791379965523
Mean peak period (s)6665567566544545544566756655544
Mean zero-crossing period (s)5554444455443444444455545544433
Mean peak wave directionENEconcentration 99%ENEconcentration 99%ENEconcentration 98%Econcentration 69%Sconcentration 94%Sconcentration 99%SSEconcentration 86%Sconcentration 97%Sconcentration 99%Sconcentration 99%Sconcentration 91%WSWconcentration 94%WSWconcentration 85%WNWconcentration 94%Wconcentration 88%Wconcentration 98%SSWconcentration 72%WSWconcentration 76%WSWconcentration 67%SSWconcentration 79%Sconcentration 94%SWconcentration 69%SSWconcentration 84%WSWconcentration 98%Sconcentration 94%NWconcentration 82%NWconcentration 62%SWconcentration 80%SSWconcentration 85%SWconcentration 70%WSWconcentration 64%
Mean wave directionENEconcentration 99%ENEconcentration 99%Econcentration 98%ESEconcentration 80%Sconcentration 98%Sconcentration 99%SSEconcentration 93%Sconcentration 98%Sconcentration 99%Sconcentration 100%Sconcentration 96%WSWconcentration 96%SWconcentration 90%WNWconcentration 95%Wconcentration 87%WSWconcentration 99%SSWconcentration 88%SWconcentration 84%SWconcentration 75%SSWconcentration 97%Sconcentration 97%SWconcentration 91%SSWconcentration 90%WSWconcentration 99%Sconcentration 99%NWconcentration 82%WNWconcentration 59%SWconcentration 95%SSWconcentration 98%SWconcentration 92%WSWconcentration 81%
Mean directional spread (°)19.319.929.236.130.025.427.226.620.120.423.531.130.423.128.330.936.833.530.131.123.229.123.833.724.820.730.028.328.434.527.5
Mean wind directionENEconcentration 98%Econcentration 98%Econcentration 96%SEconcentration 94%SSEconcentration 99%Sconcentration 97%SEconcentration 91%SSEconcentration 96%Sconcentration 98%SSWconcentration 96%SWconcentration 91%Wconcentration 98%WSWconcentration 88%WNWconcentration 96%Wconcentration 94%WSWconcentration 98%SWconcentration 91%WSWconcentration 92%SWconcentration 75%SWconcentration 96%SSWconcentration 94%WSWconcentration 91%SSWconcentration 96%--------
Mean wind speed (mph)2223171417171120232113171519171611161713211927--------
Mean water temperature(°C)9.29.19.39.59.59.910.110.110.110.511.011.111.011.010.911.011.010.810.810.910.710.710.710.810.610.510.610.710.710.810.8

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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.

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 Met Éireann Irish Marine Data Buoy Observation Network.

Learn how SurfHog combines, checks and summarizes observations in the data and methodology notes.

› Wave Buoy List