Offshore Weather Buoys Confirm West Coast Wave Forecast
Results from Ireland’s network of offshore weather buoys confirm the computer-generated wave forecasts by the Marine Institute and Met Eireann earlier this week for waves of up to 14 metres (45 feet) along the west coast of Ireland.
As of 12 noon today (Saturday 1st December) weather buoy M6—situated in deep water off the west of Ireland—was recording waves of 13.2 metres height. Weather buoy M3—off the south west coast recorded wave heights of 10.2 metres. It is likely that wave heights inshore will be reduced, but could still be in the eight to nine metre range, which offers dangerous conditions for those walking or fishing near the shoreline.
Real time information from all six buoys in the Irish Marine Weather Buoy Network can be accessed online by following the "Publications and Data" tag above.
The daily computer generated forecast can also be accessed online on our Wave Forecast page.
The waves are being caused by a very low pressure area of weather in the Atlantic to the north of Ireland. Previously the biggest waves recorded by the Marine Institute’s data buoys were at the M1 Buoy to the west of Galway Bay on the 17th January 2005, when waves of 13.4 m were recorded. Similar conditions appear to be developing this weekend in line with predictions made earlier in the week.
The Marine Institute stresses that, while it is unlikely that the waves will cause severe flooding or structural damage onshore, the main danger is to small boats, anglers and those venturing too close to the sea at this time.
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