The Irish Marine Data Buoy Observation Network (IMDBON) was originally established 20 years ago to provide essential meteorological and sea state information to forecasters, marine users, and researchers to improve the accuracy and temporal range of mainland and coastal forecasts to enhance safety at sea. The network of five offshore marine observation buoys around Ireland is managed by the Marine Institute in collaboration with Met Éireann, and funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

 

Since 2001, the IMDBON has been reporting hourly weather measurements of air temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction as well as sea surface temperature, wave height and wave period. The data from the network is used by Met Eireann’s forecasting systems, shared globally through the World Meteorological Organisation’s Global Telecommunications System, and quality controlled for climatological purposes. All the IMDBON platforms provide critical data, but the most westerly, Buoy M6, located hundreds of kilometres to the west of Ireland is recognised by the European meteorological services network, EUMETNET, as one of only four European sentinel synoptic weather buoys that directly provides strategically important data to support forecasting services throughout Europe.

 

Data is available on this website.