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M2 wave buoy daily means for May 2012

Daily means from the M2 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

741 wave-buoy observations covered all 31 days. Typical wave height was 2.1 ft (10th–90th percentile 1–5.1 ft), while mean peak wave period was 5.3 seconds (10th–90th percentile 3.3–8.1 seconds). Typical wind was 11.6 mph (10th–90th percentile 5.1–19.7 mph) and mean water temperature was 9.9°C (10th–90th percentile 9.2–11.1°C). All 4,443 checked values passed quality control. Across 2 comparable years, mean wave height was below the same-month mean of 3.2 ft and mean wave period was above the same-month mean of 4.6 seconds.

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

Typical Significant Wave Height

2.1ft
Mean: 2.6 ft
P10–P90: 1 — 5.1 ft
Recorded extremes

0.5 — 8.2 ft

Available for 738 of 741 hourly samples

Mean Observed Wave Period

5.3secs
P10–P90: 3.3 — 8.1secs
Recorded extremes

2 — 10.9secs

Typical Observed Wind

Variable, 11.6mph
Mean: 12 mph
P10–P90: 5.1 — 19.7 mph
Recorded extremes

0.5 — 31.3 mph

Circular concentration: 18%

Mean Water Temperature

9.9°C
P10–P90: 9.2 — 11.1°C
Recorded extremes

9.1 — 12.4°C

Compared With Previous Mays

Historical baseline from 1,470 observations across 2 years.

Wave Height
2.6ft
0.6ft below mean
Historical mean 3.248ft
Wave Period
5.3s
0.7s above mean
Historical mean 4.6s
Water Temperature
9.9°C
0.6°C below mean
Historical mean 10.5°C

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 2012Last observation shown
Metric
Mean significant wave height (ft)6222314224534442135211112332212
Mean maximum wave height (ft)9332416336746663247201222533322
Mean peak period (s)6446455546645554446454586558876
Mean zero-crossing period (s)5444434445544443344343454445444
Mean peak wave directionNEconcentration 97%NNEconcentration 78%NNEconcentration 82%ENEconcentration 35%NEconcentration 93%Econcentration 45%SEconcentration 84%SSEconcentration 93%ENEconcentration 59%ENEconcentration 49%NNWconcentration 41%NNWconcentration 35%SSWconcentration 87%WSWconcentration 75%NNWconcentration 88%WNWconcentration 45%SSEconcentration 53%NEconcentration 95%NEconcentration 98%NEconcentration 94%ESEconcentration 34%Sconcentration 80%Sconcentration 74%SSEconcentration 92%Econcentration 55%ENEconcentration 99%ENEconcentration 80%Sconcentration 99%Sconcentration 100%SSEconcentration 93%SSEconcentration 94%
Mean wave directionNEconcentration 99%NNEconcentration 92%NEconcentration 97%NEconcentration 78%NEconcentration 97%Econcentration 81%SEconcentration 91%SSEconcentration 98%Econcentration 73%Econcentration 73%NWconcentration 60%NWconcentration 44%SSWconcentration 91%SWconcentration 92%NNWconcentration 88%NWconcentration 48%SSEconcentration 72%NEconcentration 97%NEconcentration 98%ENEconcentration 97%SEconcentration 67%Sconcentration 93%Sconcentration 99%SSEconcentration 98%Econcentration 70%ENEconcentration 100%ENEconcentration 97%SSEconcentration 97%Sconcentration 99%Sconcentration 99%Sconcentration 98%
Mean directional spread (°)24.434.134.534.731.044.923.132.231.333.526.332.523.332.623.430.726.824.427.733.644.627.031.829.929.521.125.519.520.228.930.3
Mean wind directionENEconcentration 96%NEconcentration 87%NEconcentration 93%NNEconcentration 85%NEconcentration 95%NEconcentration 84%SSEconcentration 89%WSWconcentration 77%ENEconcentration 92%Variableconcentration 18%NWconcentration 98%Wconcentration 73%SWconcentration 93%Wconcentration 89%NNWconcentration 92%WSWconcentration 68%SEconcentration 64%NEconcentration 96%ENEconcentration 98%Econcentration 94%SEconcentration 77%SSEconcentration 98%Sconcentration 98%NNWconcentration 32%ENEconcentration 92%ENEconcentration 95%ENEconcentration 88%SSEconcentration 84%SSWconcentration 97%Sconcentration 87%SWconcentration 94%
Mean wind speed (mph)201010101361881310181318151813111617841211412161291098
Mean water temperature(°C)9.19.39.39.39.39.49.39.49.49.49.49.69.59.69.69.79.79.69.79.810.39.910.010.510.210.110.310.811.111.511.9

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.

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.

Observation data source

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

› Wave Buoy List