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M2 wave buoy daily means for May 2023

Daily means from the M2 wave buoy for May 2023, 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

718 wave-buoy observations covered all 31 days. Typical wave height was 1.9 ft (10th–90th percentile 0.8–3.8 ft), while mean peak wave period was 4.8 seconds (10th–90th percentile 2.8–7.7 seconds). Typical wind was 11.7 mph (10th–90th percentile 5–18.7 mph) and mean water temperature was 11.7°C (10th–90th percentile 10.4–12.9°C). 10 of 4,308 checked values (0.2%) were excluded by quality control. Across 11 comparable years, mean wave height was below the same-month mean of 2.9 ft and mean wave period was below the same-month mean of 5.2 seconds.

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

Typical Significant Wave Height

1.9ft
Mean: 2.2 ft
P10–P90: 0.8 — 3.8 ft
Recorded extremes

0.4 — 8.1 ft

Mean Observed Wave Period

4.8secs
P10–P90: 2.8 — 7.7secs
Recorded extremes

2.3 — 16.6secs

Available for 708 of 718 hourly samples

Typical Observed Wind

Variable, 11.7mph
Mean: 11.8 mph
P10–P90: 5 — 18.7 mph
Recorded extremes

1.3 — 29.3 mph

Circular concentration: 21%

Mean Water Temperature

11.7°C
P10–P90: 10.4 — 12.9°C
Recorded extremes

9.9 — 14.6°C

Compared With Previous Mays

Historical baseline from 8,109 observations across 11 years.

Wave Height
2.2ft
0.7ft below mean
Historical mean 2.887ft
Wave Period
4.8s
0.4s below mean
Historical mean 5.2s
Water Temperature
11.7°C
1.7°C above mean
Historical mean 10°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 2023Last observation shown
Metric
Mean significant wave height (ft)222QC rejected523422221132121113322214322
Mean maximum wave height (ft)3239934733432243222125433426433
Mean peak period (s)4446677665544344435775434455444
Mean zero-crossing period (s)4445545444443343333444433434433
Mean peak wave directionWSWconcentration 51%SEconcentration 41%SEconcentration 54%ENEconcentration 95%SSEconcentration 75%Sconcentration 99%Sconcentration 99%Sconcentration 98%Sconcentration 79%SSWconcentration 87%SSWconcentration 75%NNEconcentration 87%NEconcentration 81%Variableconcentration 30%NNWconcentration 86%NNWconcentration 71%NEconcentration 40%WSWconcentration 68%Wconcentration 42%SSEconcentration 47%Variableconcentration 24%NNEconcentration 96%NNEconcentration 68%NWconcentration 86%NNEconcentration 83%NNEconcentration 98%NEconcentration 52%NNEconcentration 98%NEconcentration 83%NEconcentration 85%ENEconcentration 91%
Mean wave directionSWconcentration 73%ESEconcentration 53%SEconcentration 79%Econcentration 96%SSEconcentration 79%Sconcentration 99%Sconcentration 99%Sconcentration 99%Sconcentration 90%SSWconcentration 97%SSWconcentration 92%NEconcentration 79%NEconcentration 94%SSWconcentration 33%NNWconcentration 90%NNWconcentration 72%ENEconcentration 43%SWconcentration 74%Variableconcentration 24%SEconcentration 80%ESEconcentration 35%NNEconcentration 96%NNEconcentration 67%NWconcentration 76%NNEconcentration 93%NNEconcentration 99%NEconcentration 71%NNEconcentration 99%NEconcentration 88%NEconcentration 88%ENEconcentration 93%
Mean directional spread (°)168.6204.6191.5122.6161.9126.3117.3145.5141.7151.9152.3166.7150.8191.8206.8192.2201.2178.8189.4158.6148.4175.8202.6193.9186.0186.3176.0173.7159.7156.4168.9
Mean wind directionWNWconcentration 67%ESEconcentration 67%ESEconcentration 87%ENEconcentration 98%SSEconcentration 97%SEconcentration 89%Sconcentration 98%Sconcentration 88%SWconcentration 66%SWconcentration 81%Wconcentration 35%NNEconcentration 98%NEconcentration 74%Variableconcentration 14%WNWconcentration 71%WNWconcentration 60%Sconcentration 78%WSWconcentration 72%NNWconcentration 83%NNEconcentration 94%NNEconcentration 92%Nconcentration 99%NWconcentration 48%NNWconcentration 78%Nconcentration 94%Nconcentration 99%NNEconcentration 59%NNEconcentration 98%NEconcentration 94%NEconcentration 96%NEconcentration 95%
Mean wind speed (mph)10111322209151710121111710129912977151010811719141214
Mean water temperature(°C)11.011.111.110.710.210.310.310.510.811.211.611.611.611.711.911.912.312.412.712.612.011.311.312.112.712.512.712.312.613.013.0

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