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M2 wave buoy daily means for May 2024

Daily means from the M2 wave buoy for May 2024, 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

721 wave-buoy observations covered all 31 days. Typical wave height was 1.9 ft (10th–90th percentile 0.8–4.6 ft), while mean peak wave period was 5.4 seconds (10th–90th percentile 3–8.3 seconds). Typical wind was 10.2 mph (10th–90th percentile 4.6–18.1 mph) and mean water temperature was 11.1°C (10th–90th percentile 10.1–12.1°C). 3 of 4,326 checked values (0.1%) were excluded by quality control. Across 12 comparable years, mean wave height was below the same-month mean of 2.8 ft and mean wave period was above the same-month mean of 5.1 seconds.

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

Typical Significant Wave Height

1.9ft
Mean: 2.5 ft
P10–P90: 0.8 — 4.6 ft
Recorded extremes

0.8 — 9.2 ft

Mean Observed Wave Period

5.4secs
P10–P90: 3 — 8.3secs
Recorded extremes

2.5 — 11.1secs

Available for 718 of 721 hourly samples

Typical Observed Wind

Variable, 10.2mph
Mean: 10.9 mph
P10–P90: 4.6 — 18.1 mph
Recorded extremes

0.9 — 30.3 mph

Circular concentration: 14%

Mean Water Temperature

11.1°C
P10–P90: 10.1 — 12.1°C
Recorded extremes

9.8 — 13.7°C

Compared With Previous Mays

Historical baseline from 8,827 observations across 12 years.

Wave Height
2.5ft
0.3ft below mean
Historical mean 2.822ft
Wave Period
5.4s
0.3s above mean
Historical mean 5.1s
Water Temperature
11.1°C
0.9°C above mean
Historical mean 10.2°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 2024Last observation shown
Metric
Mean significant wave height (ft)3322122211113321223213QC rejected32233354
Mean maximum wave height (ft)55332343221254324453251353355587
Mean peak period (s)7553885447975865445445644755456
Mean zero-crossing period (s)4443654334544544444334543544444
Mean peak wave directionSconcentration 98%NNEconcentration 81%ENEconcentration 55%SWconcentration 80%Sconcentration 97%Sconcentration 80%NNEconcentration 63%SSEconcentration 51%SSEconcentration 71%Sconcentration 78%Sconcentration 91%SSEconcentration 82%Sconcentration 95%Sconcentration 99%SEconcentration 55%ENEconcentration 50%Nconcentration 98%NNEconcentration 92%Nconcentration 99%NNEconcentration 74%Econcentration 72%Nconcentration 64%NNWconcentration 97%NWconcentration 73%Sconcentration 84%Sconcentration 97%SSWconcentration 80%Sconcentration 84%Wconcentration 78%NNWconcentration 92%Nconcentration 97%
Mean wave directionSconcentration 99%NNEconcentration 75%ENEconcentration 71%SSWconcentration 91%Sconcentration 97%Sconcentration 53%NNEconcentration 79%SSEconcentration 71%SSEconcentration 81%Sconcentration 92%SSEconcentration 89%SEconcentration 91%SSEconcentration 97%Sconcentration 95%SEconcentration 87%Econcentration 54%Nconcentration 98%NNEconcentration 93%NNEconcentration 100%NEconcentration 86%Econcentration 81%Nconcentration 76%NNWconcentration 99%WNWconcentration 68%Sconcentration 90%Sconcentration 95%SSWconcentration 94%Sconcentration 95%WSWconcentration 92%NNWconcentration 93%Nconcentration 98%
Mean directional spread (°)123.5182.3263.2192.4112.3106.1233.1218.5212.5136.798.7135.1197.189.2139.2167.9201.6211.3207.9214.0188.4184.8119.3232.3207.8117.5176.8226.9199.3183.6157.8
Mean wind directionESEconcentration 59%Nconcentration 67%Variableconcentration 23%SWconcentration 83%Variableconcentration 11%NNWconcentration 87%NNWconcentration 68%Sconcentration 93%Sconcentration 89%SEconcentration 90%ESEconcentration 72%SEconcentration 87%SEconcentration 89%ENEconcentration 90%NEconcentration 87%NNEconcentration 76%Nconcentration 92%NNWconcentration 93%Nconcentration 97%NEconcentration 91%NEconcentration 77%NWconcentration 92%NWconcentration 99%Wconcentration 63%SEconcentration 86%SSEconcentration 39%SWconcentration 85%SSWconcentration 86%WNWconcentration 96%NWconcentration 98%NNWconcentration 92%
Mean wind speed (mph)1013511561012107581689891113881525131071615151914
Mean water temperature(°C)10.010.210.310.210.410.410.310.310.610.911.311.911.411.111.111.211.211.411.511.711.911.610.910.911.211.311.612.312.411.811.4

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