Queensland · Marine
Queensland wave buoys: live wave height and swell
Readings from 27 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) | 0.2 m | 0.4 m | 2 s | E (83°) | |
| Cairns | 0.5 m | 0.8 m | 3 s | E (85°) | |
| Townsville | 0.5 m | 0.9 m | 4 s | ENE (73°) | |
| Mackay | 0.7 m | 1.4 m | 8 s | ESE (114°) | |
| Emu Park | 0.8 m | 1.3 m | 4 s | E (86°) | |
| One Tree Island | 1.0 m | 1.6 m | 6 s | ESE (104°) | |
| Gladstone | 0.7 m | 1.2 m | 5 s | E (82°) | |
| Bundaberg | 0.8 m | 1.3 m | 5 s | ENE (56°) | |
| Hervey Bay | 0.6 m | 0.8 m | 4 s | NNE (15°) | |
| Wide Bay | 1.7 m | 2.5 m | 12 s | SSE (158°) | |
| Mooloolaba | 0.9 m | 1.5 m | 13 s | ESE (111°) | |
| Caloundra | 0.6 m | 1.1 m | 11 s | ESE (114°) | |
| North Moreton Bay | 0.6 m | 1.2 m | 11 s | E (96°) | |
| Woorim | 0.4 m | 0.7 m | 4 s | NE (37°) | |
| Brisbane | 1.7 m | 2.4 m | 11 s | SSE (153°) | |
| Gold Coast | 1.1 m | 1.6 m | 11 s | SE (127°) | |
| Palm Beach | 0.8 m | 1.3 m | 13 s | ESE (107°) | |
| Bilinga | 0.6 m | 1.1 m | 13 s | E (86°) | |
| Tweed Heads | 1.5 m | 2.2 m | 10 s | SE (135°) | |
| Tweed Offshore | 1.9 m | 4.0 m | 12 s | SSE (157°) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbot Point TriAxys | 0.4 m | 0.8 m | 4 s | E (100°) | |
| Hay Point TriAxys | 0.5 m | 0.7 m | 3 s | ENE (68°) | |
| Mackay Harbour (east of southern breakwater) | 0.5 m | 0.8 m | 8 s | ESE (111°) | |
| Skardon River Offshore | No recent reading (last ) | ||||
| Skardon River Outer | 0.4 m | 0.7 m | 3 s | WSW (242°) | |
| Amrun Offshore | No recent reading (last ) | ||||
| Amrun 4892 | No recent reading (last ) | ||||
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 | +0.65 m | |
| Weipa | −0.02 m | |
| Cooktown | −0.02 m | |
| Port Douglas | −0.04 m | |
| Palm Cove | −0.01 m | |
| Cairns | −0.05 m | |
| Karumba | −0.14 m | |
| Townsville | −0.08 m | |
| Bowen | +0.05 m | |
| Mackay | +0.06 m | |
| Rosslyn Bay | −0.03 m | |
| Burnett Heads | −0.06 m | |
| Bundaberg | −0.10 m | |
| Urangan | −0.02 m | |
| Maroochydore | +0.16 m | |
| Mooloolaba | +0.06 m | |
| Tangalooma | +0.09 m | |
| Scarborough | +0.10 m | |
| Shorncliffe | +0.09 m | |
| Raby Bay | +0.03 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.