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M2 wave buoy daily means for May 2016

Daily means from the M2 wave buoy for May 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

739 wave-buoy observations covered all 31 days. Typical wave height was 2.6 ft (10th–90th percentile 1–4.6 ft), while mean peak wave period was 5.1 seconds (10th–90th percentile 3.6–6.9 seconds). Typical wind was 12 mph (10th–90th percentile 4.7–20.6 mph) and mean water temperature was 9.6°C (10th–90th percentile 8.9–10.6°C). 3 of 4,235 checked values (0.1%) were excluded by quality control. Across 5 comparable years, mean wave height was below the same-month mean of 3.1 ft and mean wave period was above the same-month mean of 5 seconds.

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

Typical Significant Wave Height

2.6ft
Mean: 2.7 ft
P10–P90: 1 — 4.6 ft
Recorded extremes

0.5 — 8.2 ft

Mean Observed Wave Period

5.1secs
P10–P90: 3.6 — 6.9secs
Recorded extremes

2 — 9.6secs

Available for 736 of 739 hourly samples

Typical Observed Wind

Variable, 12mph
Mean: 12.3 mph
P10–P90: 4.7 — 20.6 mph
Recorded extremes

0.3 — 28 mph

Circular concentration: 19%

Mean Water Temperature

9.6°C
P10–P90: 8.9 — 10.6°C
Recorded extremes

8.7 — 10.9°C

Available for 540 of 739 hourly samples

Compared With Previous Mays

Historical baseline from 3,678 observations across 5 years.

Wave Height
2.7ft
0.4ft below mean
Historical mean 3.117ft
Wave Period
5.1s
0.1s above mean
Historical mean 5s
Water Temperature
9.6°C
In line with the historical mean
Historical mean 9.6°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 2016Last observation shown
Metric
Mean significant wave height (ft)5535323233343211333342213211122
Mean maximum wave height (ft)7847435345555322445563324211123
Mean peak period (s)5656555445555554465567565455754
Mean zero-crossing period (s)4544444444444444444444444444434
Mean peak wave directionSconcentration 99%SSWconcentration 73%SWconcentration 71%Sconcentration 99%Sconcentration 92%Variableconcentration 26%NNEconcentration 92%NEconcentration 90%NEconcentration 97%NEconcentration 87%NEconcentration 94%NNEconcentration 98%NNEconcentration 97%NEconcentration 96%Nconcentration 69%Nconcentration 60%Sconcentration 97%Sconcentration 91%Sconcentration 77%Sconcentration 96%Sconcentration 99%Sconcentration 94%NWconcentration 58%ESEconcentration 46%NEconcentration 82%NNEconcentration 91%Econcentration 33%Econcentration 68%SSEconcentration 74%NNEconcentration 57%Nconcentration 98%
Mean wave directionSconcentration 100%SSWconcentration 87%SWconcentration 86%Sconcentration 100%Sconcentration 99%ENEconcentration 39%NNEconcentration 94%NEconcentration 96%ENEconcentration 98%NEconcentration 96%NEconcentration 96%NNEconcentration 99%NNEconcentration 98%ENEconcentration 96%Nconcentration 57%Nconcentration 57%Sconcentration 98%SSWconcentration 90%SSWconcentration 66%Sconcentration 97%Sconcentration 100%Sconcentration 94%NNWconcentration 51%Econcentration 64%NEconcentration 95%NNEconcentration 96%ENEconcentration 75%Econcentration 93%Econcentration 89%NNEconcentration 82%Nconcentration 99%
Mean directional spread (°)18.726.826.821.429.331.126.530.528.428.529.327.424.729.130.629.223.323.630.824.023.726.329.431.929.830.933.932.931.521.424.7
Mean wind directionSconcentration 98%WSWconcentration 78%SWconcentration 86%Sconcentration 98%Sconcentration 90%NNEconcentration 86%NEconcentration 86%Econcentration 95%ENEconcentration 96%NEconcentration 95%NEconcentration 94%NNEconcentration 96%NNEconcentration 98%Econcentration 50%NWconcentration 53%Variableconcentration 21%Sconcentration 94%WNWconcentration 83%SWconcentration 72%SSWconcentration 90%SSWconcentration 91%WSWconcentration 76%WNWconcentration 80%NEconcentration 87%NEconcentration 91%NNEconcentration 87%NEconcentration 91%ENEconcentration 84%NNEconcentration 95%Nconcentration 96%NNWconcentration 98%
Mean wind speed (mph)201916221213151114151515138761711141618101191366561010
Mean water temperature(°C)8.88.99.09.09.19.29.09.29.19.29.29.39.49.89.910.010.410.610.610.510.410.610.6--------

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