Each buoy has a name and identification number and is equipped with sensors . Mariners are especially concerned about wind and waves.
Wind speed is gauged with an anemometer.
The results are measured against the Beaufort Scale which determines the force of the wind. If winds are 55-63 miles per hour, for example, the storm is a Force 10. A hurricane, with winds above 73 miles per hour, is a Force 12. Waves are described by height and length, although the buoy sensors do not directly report wave measurements . The length of a wave is the horizontal distance between two successive crests or troughs.