Wave Forecast
up to 5 day forecasts of wave conditions across the Southwest Pacific and Southern Ocean.
This forecast service has been discontinued.
NIWA now offers a more advanced wave forecast as part of the EcoConnect multi-hazard forecast system (http://ecoconnect.niwa.co.nz/
) .
Please contact Richard Gorman (r.gorman@niwa.co.nz) for further information.
Plots of significant wave height
Click on an image for a more detailed plot.
About the forecast
Using the WAM wave generation model, we can simulate wave conditions across the Southwest Pacific and Southern Ocean. The model uses wind data from atmospheric modelling at the NOAA NCEP Ocean Modelling Branch. The extent of Antarctic sea ice is also taken into account, using daily data (also from NCEP).
At present, we run a forecast every day (completed at approximately 08:00 NZST) This produces an "analysis" wave field for 12:00 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) based on assimilated atmospheric data up to that time, then forecast wave fields at 3 hour intervals out to 126 hours. The model is first run on a global domain at a resolution of 3.75° (longitude) x 3° (latitude). This provides incoming swell conditions for a nested run on a Southwest Pacific / Southern Ocean model domain at a resolution of 1.25° (longitude) x 1° (latitude).
The plots show significant wave height throughout the Southwest Pacific / Southern Ocean model domain. The arrows showing mean wave direction are scaled in length to wave height.
Contact
Richard Gorman
Phone +64 7 856 1736
r.gorman@niwa.co.nz