Data Formats for Grid Point (Virtual Buoy) Forecasts
Several E-Mail formats are provided depending on your needs and the device used to receive the message.
Format #1
The narrow display is designed to fit in a small PDA mini computer screen. Seas gives you significant wave height, direction and primary period. Wind shows speed in knots, text direction and degrees. Keep in mind that the significant height is an average. Peak seas may be 1.5 to 2 times the significant height. Sample look:
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9/6 2am: seas-4ftE@6sec wind-8ktsE@98 9/6 8am: seas-4ftE@6sec wind-10ktsE@95 9/6 2pm: seas-4ftESE@9sec wind-12ktsE@91 9/6 8pm: seas-4ftENE@9sec wind-12ktsE@92
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Format #2
Same data as format #1, but provides a wind and seas range. The upper end of the wind range is a projected gust reading. The upper end of the seas is 1.5 times the significant height provided by the wave model. This is the statistical 1 in a 100 swell. Rouge waves may be as high as 2 times the significant height. Be prepared! This is the preferred open ocean format.
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WIND WAVES
dir/deg range(kt) dir/per range(ft)
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9/6 2am E 98 7 - 10 E 5sec 4 - 6
9/6 8am E 94 8 - 11 E 5sec 4 - 6
9/6 2pm E 90 11 - 15 ESE 7sec 4 - 6
9/6 8pm E 92 11 - 15 ENE 7sec 4 - 7
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Format # 3
This provides some extra data if you are near or on land. The swell height and period are used to derive a surf height forecast. Useful if you are at anchor, diving, fishing, surfing, or navigating a pass. The surf range is the front face heights in feet. In other words, what you might see from shore. I can be tough to make this conversion where reefs, islands or points are blocking the swell. The logic works like this. If a shoreline is exposed to the swell direction indicated, you should see at least the lower end of the surf range. If a shoreline is perfectly exposed to the swell direction indicated, you may see the upper end of the range.
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SURF SURF DIR SWELL PERIOD WIND WND/DIR
(ft) (deg) (ft) (sec) (kts) (deg)
------- -------- ----- ------ ------- -------
9/9 2am 5 - 10 SSW 196 6.0 15.1 11 - 15 ENE 73
9/9 8am 5 - 11 SSW 194 6.2 15.1 11 - 15 ENE 70
9/9 2pm 6 - 12 S 182 6.3 16.2 10 - 14 ENE 67
9/9 8pm 6 - 12 S 181 6.5 15.9 12 - 16 ENE 59
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Format #4
This is the PDA version with the surf conversion. The ranges are trimmed to save width. The seas number is the significant height( rouge waves may be up to 2 times this). The wind is an average speed and degrees. Add about 20% to estimate gusts. Proximity to land will effect the actual wind. The surf is only the upper end of the range. If a shore is exposed to the direction indicated, you should see at least half this number and only maybe the full height shown.
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9/8 2am: seas-5ftENE@8sec wind-10ktsE@99 surf-5ftENE@68 9/8 8am: seas-5ftSSW@17sec wind-10ktsE@82 surf-11ftSSW@196 9/8 2pm: seas-5ftE@8sec wind-12ktsENE@69 surf-5ftE@86 9/8 8pm: seas-6ftSSW@16sec wind-14ktsENE@66 surf-11ftSSW@197
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Format #5
This format is designed for pagers and cell phone messaging. It provides a five day forecast, but due to file size limitations on some devices, only one forecast per day.
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9/8 2am: Swl ENE 5ft 7s Wnd E 10 9/9 2am: Swl SSW 6ft 15s Wnd ENE 14 9/10 2am: Swl S 8ft 16s Wnd ENE 14 9/11 2am: Swl NNE 8ft 9s Wnd E 14 9/12 2am: Swl ENE 8ft 8s Wnd ENE 16
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Format #6 - GFS Meteo
This is available anywhere on the globe can be very useful whether in the tropics or in the mountains. Most of the variables are self explanitory and covered in our chart guide. A unique part of these forecasts is the convective analysis using Lifted Index and CAPE. In tropical regions, wind, pressure, and wave height data is not enough to create a weather outlook. Wind speed and direction are usually determined by highly local convective activity which will not show up in just wind and pressure data. Our forecast can help determine if there convection in the future and how bad it could be. If the T-STORM indicator ever reads "SEVERE", there is definate trouble ahead!
This combination of weather variables, air & dew temp, LI, CAPE, RH, SLP, cloud%, and precipitation can help see potential severe weather that might not show up in a standard pressure & wind forecast chart.
LI stands for Lifted Index. Here is the general interpretation:
LI values greater than 0 mean thunderstorms are unlikely
LI values between 0 and -2 mean thunderstorms are possible
LI values between -3 and -5 mean thunderstorms are probable
LI values less than -5 mean a strong potential for severe thunderstorms
CP is the Convective Available Potential Energy(CAPE) divided by 100 to save space. Here is the general interpretation for the numbers in this forecast:
CP values between 3 and 10 mean weak thunderstorm activity
CP values between 10 and 25 mean moderate thunderstorm activity
CP values between 25 and 53 mean strong thunderstorm activity
The T-STORM column reads the LI and CP for each time to determine the thunderstorm likeliness.
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BUOYWEATHER.COM Meteo Forecast
Location : 5.0S 100.0E
Time Zone: GMT + 7 hours
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AIR DEW WIND WIND PREC
TEMP TEMP RH% SPD(KTS) DIR SLP LI CP CLD% PREC TYPE T-STORMS
--- --- --- -------- ------ ---- ---- -- ---- ---- ----- --------
12/23 1am 79 72 80 8 - 11 SW222 1012 -0.3 1 100 0.15 RAIN POSSIBLE
12/23 7am 79 72 80 8 - 11 WSW235 1011 0.5 1 100 0.24 RAIN UNLIKELY
12/23 1pm 79 73 81 9 - 12 W268 1011 0.5 1 99 0.21 RAIN UNLIKELY
12/23 7pm 79 74 84 14 - 19 WNW296 1010 -1.1 2 96 0.61 RAIN POSSIBLE
12/24 1am 79 74 85 13 - 18 W262 1012 -1.8 4 99 0.90 RAIN POSSIBLE
12/24 7am 79 73 81 12 - 16 SSW198 1013 -1.5 3 100 0.31 RAIN POSSIBLE
12/24 1pm 81 72 76 8 - 11 SSW194 1012 -1.3 2 100 0.03 RAIN POSSIBLE
12/24 7pm 80 72 76 7 - 9 SSW205 1011 -0.7 1 100 0.00 POSSIBLE
12/25 1am 80 72 75 10 - 13 SSW207 1012 0.0 1 99 0.00 UNLIKELY
12/25 7am 80 71 74 11 - 15 SSW204 1013 0.5 0 97 0.00 UNLIKELY
12/25 1pm 80 71 72 8 - 11 SW220 1012 1.0 0 44 0.00 UNLIKELY
12/25 7pm 80 71 73 7 - 9 SW228 1011 0.6 0 23 0.00 UNLIKELY
12/26 1am 80 72 75 7 - 10 SW226 1012 0.9 1 54 0.00 UNLIKELY
12/26 7am 80 71 74 10 - 14 SW221 1013 0.5 1 80 0.00 UNLIKELY
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