Queensland · Marine
Queensland wave buoys: live wave height and swell
Readings from 26 Queensland Coastal Data System wave buoys, ordered from the Gold Coast north to Cape York. Select a buoy for its 7-day wave history.
Coastal wave buoys
| Buoy | Wave height (Hs) | Max wave | Peak period | From | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albatross Bay (Weipa) | 0.3 m | 0.5 m | 3 s | W (262°) | |
| Cairns | 0.4 m | 0.7 m | 3 s | ESE (103°) | |
| Townsville | 0.6 m | 0.9 m | 4 s | E (94°) | |
| Mackay | 0.5 m | 0.9 m | 4 s | ESE (109°) | |
| Emu Park | 1.0 m | 1.6 m | 5 s | ESE (103°) | |
| One Tree Island | 1.7 m | 2.8 m | 7 s | SE (127°) | |
| Gladstone | 0.8 m | 1.5 m | 5 s | E (82°) | |
| Bundaberg | 0.9 m | 1.7 m | 5 s | ENE (78°) | |
| Hervey Bay | 0.5 m | 0.7 m | 3 s | E (81°) | |
| Wide Bay | 1.4 m | 2.4 m | 8 s | SE (138°) | |
| Mooloolaba | 0.9 m | 1.4 m | 8 s | ESE (103°) | |
| Caloundra | No recent reading (last ) | ||||
| North Moreton Bay | 0.7 m | 1.2 m | 9 s | E (91°) | |
| Woorim | 0.4 m | 0.7 m | 3 s | NE (46°) | |
| Brisbane | 2.0 m | 2.8 m | 9 s | SSE (164°) | |
| Gold Coast | 0.8 m | 1.3 m | 8 s | ESE (116°) | |
| Palm Beach | 0.8 m | 1.4 m | 9 s | ESE (102°) | |
| Bilinga | 0.6 m | 1.1 m | 8 s | ENE (78°) | |
| Tweed Heads | 1.2 m | 2.1 m | 10 s | SSE (149°) | |
| Tweed Offshore | 1.6 m | 2.6 m | 10 s | SSE (159°) | |
Port and offshore buoys
Buoys run for ports and offshore operations, published in the same feed.
| Buoy | Wave height (Hs) | Max wave | Peak period | From | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skardon River Offshore | 0.4 m | 0.6 m | 4 s | N (357°) | |
| Amrun Offshore | No recent reading (last ) | ||||
| Amrun | No recent reading (last ) | ||||
| Abbot Point TriAxys | 0.9 m | 1.5 m | 4 s | E (96°) | |
| Mackay Harbour (east of southern breakwater) | 0.4 m | 0.6 m | 3 s | E (85°) | |
| Hay Point TriAxys | 0.5 m | 0.8 m | 3 s | ESE (107°) | |
Storm-tide gauges: measured minus predicted tide
Positive values mean the sea is higher than the predicted tide, for example from onshore wind, low pressure or a storm surge.
| Gauge | Residual | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday Island | +0.45 m | |
| Weipa | +0.03 m | |
| Cooktown | −0.06 m | |
| Port Douglas | −0.04 m | |
| Palm Cove | −0.01 m | |
| Cairns | −0.11 m | |
| Karumba | +0.04 m | |
| Townsville | −0.06 m | |
| Bowen | −0.00 m | |
| Mackay | −0.01 m | |
| Rosslyn Bay | +0.06 m | |
| Burnett Heads | +0.04 m | |
| Bundaberg | +0.00 m | |
| Urangan | +0.00 m | |
| Maroochydore | +0.06 m | |
| Mooloolaba | +0.04 m | |
| Tangalooma | +0.02 m | |
| Scarborough | −0.00 m | |
| Shorncliffe | −0.05 m | |
| Raby Bay | −0.06 m | |
| Gold Coast | +0.06 m |
What the wave numbers mean
- Significant wave height (Hs)
- The average height of the highest third of waves in a 26.6-minute record. It is close to what an experienced observer would call "the wave height".
- Maximum wave height (Hmax)
- The single highest wave in the same record. Expect occasional waves near this size, often around one and a half to two times Hs.
- Peak period (Tp)
- The period, in seconds, of the waves carrying the most energy. Long periods (above about 10 seconds) usually mean groundswell from a distant system; short periods mean local wind waves.
- Direction
- The direction the peak-period waves are coming from, relative to true north.
- Sea surface temperature
- An approximate water temperature measured at the buoy.
- Storm-tide residual
- How far the measured water level is above (+) or below (−) the predicted tide at a gauge. A large positive residual during a cyclone or strong onshore wind is storm surge.
Official marine information
- Bureau of Meteorology marine forecasts and warnings
- Queensland Government wave monitoring
- Tide guides on Atmosphr
- Emergency at sea: 000, or VHF channel 16.
Sources
Wave data: Coastal Data System, near real time wave data; storm-tide data: Coastal Data System, near real time storm tide data. Both © State of Queensland (Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Feed last received by Atmosphr ; refreshed every 30 minutes. Readings are as published and may be revised; for official marine warnings check the Bureau of Meteorology.