Wave buoy Buli was anchored in the sea in the Suomenlinna water area on Wednesday, 8 April 2020. This is the fifth year in a row in which Buli makes wave measurements in Helsinki.
Buli assists sailors and crews on ships and boats to predict weather conditions by providing observations of significant wave height, wave direction and period. Buli also observes sea surface temperature.
The wave buoy is part of a joint project of the City of Helsinki and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The project collects data on significant water height and wave behaviour to be applied in Helsinki city planning, in addition to water transport and other uses.
Wave data is updated in real time on meri.hel.fi, a site that has been maintained by the City of Helsinki. The data, provided by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, is available in English as well as in Finnish and Swedish.
The day-to-day operation of the wave buoy Buli project will change, as the Finnish Meteorological Institute is about to assume the responsibility for project management. The new arrangement is intended to secure the continuation of the wave observation activities, which started out well and have proved to be of high standard.
“Wave observation activities will continue exactly the same as before,” assures Jan-Victor Björkqvist, a researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute. “As a major player in observation, the Finnish Meteorological Institute is better equipped to bear the overall responsibility for observation tasks and related risks, especially in the event that equipment breaks or should be updated.” The Institute’s mission is to produce high-quality observation and research data on the atmosphere and seas.
The transition will also affect the wave observation data website, on which the observation data is updated. Although the content of the site will remain largely the same, the site will introduce a more accurate real-time wave map of Helsinki water areas. The website address remains the same, that is, meri.hel.fi. Users will be redirected to a new site from April onwards.
The Finnish Meteorological Institute has four operational wave buoys(Link leads to external service) in the Baltic Sea, including Buli at Suomenlinna.
Photo: Tuomo Roine