Topics / Weather Vocabulary
Weather Vocabulary in English
Sky, rain, heat, and cold — the words you need for the forecast and everyday talk. 78 words, A1 to C1.
78 words
Sky and the Forecast
WeatherA1The conditions outside, such as rain, sun, or wind.“The weather is nice today.”ClimateB1The usual weather in a place over a long period.“The climate here is wet in winter.”ForecastB2A statement about what is likely to happen, especially the weather.“The forecast says rain tomorrow.”TemperatureA2How hot or cold a person, place, or thing is.“Check the temperature of the baby’s bottle.”DegreeB1A university qualification, or a unit for measuring temperature or angles.“She has a degree in history.”SeasonA2One of the four parts of the year: spring, summer, autumn, or winter.“Autumn is my favourite season.”SpringA1The season after winter, when plants start to grow.“The flowers come out in spring.”SummerA1The warmest season of the year.“We go to the beach in summer.”AutumnA2The season between summer and winter, when leaves fall.“The leaves turn brown in autumn.”WinterA1The coldest season of the year.“It snows here in winter.”SkyA1The space above the earth, where you see clouds and the sun.“The sky is blue today.”SunA1The star that gives light and heat to the Earth.“The sun is bright today.”SunnyA1With a lot of bright sun.“It is a sunny day.”CloudA1A white or grey shape in the sky, made of water.“There are dark clouds today.”CloudyA1With a lot of clouds in the sky.“It is cloudy this morning.”OvercastB2Covered with cloud; dull and grey (an overcast sky).“An overcast sky still needs a light-meter reading for the field photos.”AtmosphereB1The mood in a place, or the air around the Earth.“The café has a friendly atmosphere.”AirA1The gas we breathe; the space above the ground.“Open the window for some air.”OxygenB1The gas in the air that people and animals need to breathe (uncountable).“Portable oxygen is stored by the bed, not in the day room.”
Rain, Wind, and Storms
RainA1Water that falls from the sky.“I don’t like rain.”RainyA1With a lot of rain.“Take a coat — it is a rainy afternoon.”DrizzleB2Very light rain; as a verb, to rain that way, or to pour a thin stream of liquid over food.“Drizzle featured in the weather log, not a salad advert unless the source is food tech.”ShowerA1A device that sprays water so you can wash, or a short period of rain.“I have a shower every morning.”StormA2Very bad weather with strong wind, rain, or snow.“The storm damaged several trees in the park.”LightningB1A flash of electricity in a storm (uncountable in weather reports).“Lightning closed the cricket ground at lunch.”FloodB1A large amount of water covering land that is usually dry.“The flood damaged many homes in the town.”WindA1Air that moves quickly.“The wind is strong today.”WindyA1With a lot of wind.“It is too windy to use an umbrella.”GaleB2A very strong wind.“A gale warning cancelled the geography fieldwork on the headland.”HurricaneB1A very strong tropical storm with high winds.“Flights were grounded after the hurricane crossed the Atlantic.”MonsoonB2A seasonal wind in South Asia, or the heavy rains it brings.“Date the monsoon in the case study, not a single thunderstorm.”UmbrellaA1An object you hold over your head to keep rain off.“Take an umbrella — it might rain.”RaincoatA1A coat that keeps you dry in the rain.“Take your raincoat — it is wet outside.”WaterproofA2Not letting water through.“Take a waterproof jacket — it may rain.”Wellington BootB1A tall rubber boot for wet or muddy weather (UK; also a welly).“One wellington boot was full of water after the walk in the park.”PourB2To make a liquid flow from a container; also (of rain) to fall heavily.“Pour the filtrate into the flask, the practical says, not “tip it roughly”.”RainbowA2A curve of colours in the sky when the sun shines through rain.“We saw a rainbow over the hills after the storm.”
Heat, Cold, and Ice
HeatB1The quality of being hot, or warmth.“The heat of the sun made us tired.”HotA1At a high temperature.“The tea is too hot.”ColdA1At a low temperature; not hot.“It is cold in winter.”WarmA1Quite hot, in a pleasant way.“The room is warm and comfortable.”CoolA2Fairly cold, but not very cold; also used to say something is good.“The weather is cool in the evening.”MildA2Not strong or extreme, of weather, food, or illness.“The winter has been mild, so we still walk to work.”HeatwaveB1A period of unusually hot weather.“The Met Office warned that the heatwave would strain A&E.”TropicalB2Connected with the tropics, the hot region near the equator.“Map a tropical rainforest biome, not a houseplant brand, the geography paper said.”ArcticB2Of the region around the North Pole (the Arctic as a noun); also extremely cold in informal writing.“Give the latitude for the Arctic station, then the sea-ice year, not a polar-bear caption.”PoleB2A long thin stick of wood or metal; also the North or South Pole.“Plot distance from the pole on the climate graph, not a tent-pole brand.”EquatorB2The imaginary line around the Earth at 0° latitude, halfway between the poles.“Give the latitude relative to the equator, then the climate zone, the geography paper said.”IceA1Frozen water, hard and cold.“There is ice in the drink.”FrostA1A thin white ice that covers things when it is very cold.“There is frost on the car this morning.”FreezeB2To become ice; also to hold pay, prices, or assets at a fixed level.“Unions rejected a two-year pay freeze after inflation stayed high.”FrozenA2Turned into ice, or kept very cold; also too cold to move easily.“Frozen vegetables are cheaper this week.”MeltA2To become liquid because of heat.“The ice cream melted in the sun on the platform.”SnowA1Soft white frozen rain that falls in cold weather.“The children played in the snow.”FogA2Thick cloud near the ground that makes it hard to see.“The flight was late because of fog.”FoggyA2Full of fog; difficult to see through.“It was a foggy morning on the motorway.”MistB2A thin cloud of tiny water drops near the ground that makes it hard to see.“Coastal mist closed the cliff path, the risk assessment noted.”HailB1To praise someone as something; also to call a taxi; as a noun, frozen rain.“Ministers hailed the drop in youth unemployment as a turning point.”DroughtB2A long period with little or no rain, so that land, crops, and water supplies suffer.“The drought ruined the wheat harvest.”DampA2Slightly wet, often in an unpleasant way.“The towels in the hostel bathroom felt damp.”DryA1Not wet; with little or no water.“The clothes are dry now.”WetA1Covered in water or another liquid; not dry.“My shoes are wet.”HumidityC1The amount of water vapour in the air.“Humidity in the hall that curled the scripts is a conditions log, not “atmosphere”.”ShadeA2A place that is darker and cooler because the sun does not reach it.“We sat in the shade under the tree.”SunburnB1Red, painful skin caused by too much sun (often uncountable).“Sunburn after sports day still goes to first aid; after-sun is not a substitute for SPF next time.”ExtremeB1Very great in degree, or far from what is normal or reasonable.“The desert has extreme temperatures.”SevereB1Very serious or extreme.“Severe delays on the East Coast Main Line cancelled the last train north.”HarshB1Unkind, severe, or too strong.“The teacher’s comments were a bit harsh.”GentleA2Kind, calm, and not rough.“Be gentle with the kitten.”CalmA2Peaceful and not worried, angry, or excited.“Try to stay calm before the exam.”RoughA2Not smooth; also not gentle, or not exact.“The path was rough after the heavy rain.”TideB2The regular rise and fall of the sea; also a powerful trend (turn the tide).“Time high tide for the rocky-shore transect, the geography brief said.”SeaA1A large area of salt water.“They swam in the sea.”OceanA2A very large area of sea.“They crossed the Atlantic Ocean by ship.”CurrentB2Happening or used now; as a noun, a flow of water, air, or electricity.“Use current figures from the ONS, not last year’s press release.”DewB2Small drops of water that form on cool surfaces at night (usually uncountable).“Record dew in the microclimate practical, then the temperature, not a skincare slogan.”FlashB2A sudden bright light; also a very short moment (in a flash).“Flash flooding closed the A-road before the speaking tests.”PollutionB2Damage to air, water, or land caused by harmful substances.“The geography paper graphs river pollution downstream of the mill.”