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M2 wave buoy daily means for Dec 2016

Daily means from the M2 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

279 wave-buoy observations covered 12 of 31 days (39%). Typical wave height was 4.6 ft (10th–90th percentile 2.9–7.6 ft), while mean peak wave period was 5.4 seconds (10th–90th percentile 4.2–6.9 seconds). Typical wind was 20.1 mph (10th–90th percentile 15.6–27.2 mph) and mean water temperature was 11°C (10th–90th percentile 10.6–11.3°C). 1 of 1,672 checked values (0.1%) were excluded by quality control. Across 6 comparable years, mean wave height was below the same-month mean of 6.1 ft and mean wave period was below the same-month mean of 6.3 seconds.

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

Typical Significant Wave Height

4.6ft
Mean: 5 ft
P10–P90: 2.9 — 7.6 ft
Recorded extremes

1.3 — 14 ft

Mean Observed Wave Period

5.4secs
P10–P90: 4.2 — 6.9secs
Recorded extremes

2.6 — 10.2secs

Available for 278 of 279 hourly samples

Typical Observed Wind

SW, 20.1mph
Mean: 20.9 mph
P10–P90: 15.6 — 27.2 mph
Recorded extremes

9.3 — 36.5 mph

Circular concentration: 88%

Available for 277 of 279 hourly samples

Mean Water Temperature

11°C
P10–P90: 10.6 — 11.3°C
Recorded extremes

10.6 — 11.6°C

Compared With Previous Decembers

Historical baseline from 3,944 observations across 6 years.

Wave Height
5ft
1.1ft below mean
Historical mean 6.102ft
Wave Period
5.4s
0.9s below mean
Historical mean 6.3s
Water Temperature
11°C
0.7°C below mean
Historical mean 11.7°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 Dec 2016Last observation shown
Metric
Mean significant wave height (ft)-------------------555QC rejected77534444
Mean maximum wave height (ft)-------------------787131010846555
Mean peak period (s)-------------------665767545555
Mean zero-crossing period (s)-------------------454555444444
Mean peak wave direction-------------------SSEconcentration 81%SSWconcentration 90%Sconcentration 98%SSWconcentration 88%SSWconcentration 91%Sconcentration 93%WSWconcentration 95%SSWconcentration 85%Sconcentration 99%Sconcentration 99%Sconcentration 99%Sconcentration 99%
Mean wave direction-------------------Sconcentration 86%SSWconcentration 97%SSWconcentration 100%SSWconcentration 96%SSWconcentration 96%SSWconcentration 97%WSWconcentration 98%SSWconcentration 92%Sconcentration 100%Sconcentration 100%Sconcentration 100%Sconcentration 99%
Mean directional spread (°)-------------------26.722.020.220.223.220.329.530.122.022.922.124.6
Mean wind direction-------------------SSWconcentration 96%WSWconcentration 96%SWconcentration 98%SWconcentration 87%WSWconcentration 98%SWconcentration 88%Wconcentration 99%SWconcentration 86%Sconcentration 99%SSWconcentration 98%SSWconcentration 99%SWconcentration 97%
Mean wind speed (mph)-------------------232122292621231418181817
Mean water temperature(°C)-------------------11.511.411.311.211.010.910.910.910.910.810.710.6

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.

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