Vocabulary and Collocations Related to Weather

Vocabulary and Collocations Related to Weather

As you know, weather refers to the atmospheric conditions in terms of temperature, rain, snow, wind, etc. In that sense, here are vocabulary and collocations related to weather conditions that could come in handy at any time.

General Vocabulary

We can describe nice weather as:

sunny/warm/fair/boiling/scorching

• You don’t need an umbrella. They predicted sunny and warm weather.
• I’m going to the beach today because it’s boiling/scorching. (extremely hot)

We can also talk about cold weather as:

Cool/chilly/freezing/frosty

• The air was cool/chilly, so she took a jacket.
• Would you please turn on the heating? It’s freezing.
• It was a frosty (extremely cold) morning when we arrived in Alaska.

When it is wet outside, we can say that the weather is:

rainy/snowy/cloudy/damp/humid/muggy/dank

• It’s October, so rainy days are coming.
• I hate it when the weather is damp (uncomfortably wet) and humid.

Vocabulary and Collocations Related to Weather

If the weather changes, we can say that it is:

changeable/unsettled/unpredictable

• The weather was very changeable in the area. It was warm and sunny in the morning and then rainy and cold and damp in the afternoon. 
• The weather is usually a bit unpredictable at this time of year.

The verbs used in collocations related to weather:

Expect/change/predict/forecast/brave/change/improve/deteriorate/worsen

• In the afternoon, we can expect the weather to change, and turn cold with heavy showers (rain).
• The weather is going to deteriorate (worsen) because the storm was forecast for tonight. 
• Let’s hear from our reporter who’s braving the cold November rain. Is the weather going to improve?

Rain 

Since it rains a lot in the UK, no wonder the “rain” vocabulary is quite developed:

A raindrop, a drop/spot of rain

• Drops of rain had smacked the title page as he opened the book.

Light/heavy/gentle/steady rain

• Light rain is forecast in the mountain areas this afternoon.
• Heavy and steady rain continued throughout the day.

Torrential/pouring/driving/freezing rain

All these adjectives describe extreme weather conditions with heavy and cold rainfalls.

• On our way back from the park, we were soaked to the skin by torrential/pouring rain.
• Thomas could hardly see the road through the driving rain so he had to slow down.
• The wind howled outside and the snow turned to freezing rain.

Vocabulary and Collocations Related to Weather

Persistent/light drizzle

Drizzle is rain in very small raindrops.

• It was not rain but a light drizzle, which is very good for fishing.

Rain can also come in showers.

• More heavy showers are coming for the weekend.

To come down heavily refers to heavy rain or sudden shower.

• Just when we were to get out of the car, it started coming down heavily.

Wind

Here are some adjectives that collocate with the noun wind.

A light/strong/warm/sharp/biting/howling/fierce wind 

• Rain was coming down heavily while a strong wind was blowing.
• Fierce wind and heavy rainfalls are expected overnight.
• When he got down to the beach and felt the biting fall wind, he changed his mind and got back to the car.

Wind can blow, howl, moan, roar…

• It’s the end of the year – winds are roaring, roads are blocked.
• The wind moaned in the trees, but everything else was still.

Vocabulary and Collocations Related to Weather

A gust of/a breath of wind

• Although it was hot, one could feel a breath of wind in the air, which was refreshing.

Wind can be a  breeze, which is a gentle, pleasant wind, but it can also be a tornado/hurricane/cyclone, extremely strong and dangerous winds that can cause a lot of damage.

• I like when the sea is calm and a gentle breeze propels the boat.
• A tornado scooped up one of our calves and dropped it who knows where.
• That house was blown away by hurricane Hazel in 1954.

Vocabulary and Collocations Related to Weather

Extreme weather vocabulary

Storm is a very bad weather including strong wind, heavy rains, thunder and lightning.

• A tree was blown down in our neighbourhood during the storm last night.

Blizzard refers to a severe snowy and windy storm. 

• The blizzard persisted throughout the day, so we chose to stay in. 

Vocabulary and Collocations Related to Weather

Gale is a very strong wind.

• Unfortunatelly, a large number of slam houses was knocked down in yesterday’s gale.

Hail is an extreme weather condition with small ice balls coming down from the sky.

• The hail broke a few windows on the house.

Flood happens when water covers a place.

• Ian felt just horrible when he saw all the flooding and people left homeless with nothing.

Vocabulary and Collocations Related to Weather

Drought is a long time with very little or no rain.

• Estimates suggest that 55 % of crops will be lost due to the summer drought.

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