In this reference, you’ll explore common weather terms and learn how to use them in everyday conversations. The focus is on expanding your weather vocabulary with sections on basic weather words, terms with pictures, and examples. You’ll also find useful words to describe the weather, a list of advanced weather terms, and an image filled with helpful weather vocabulary.
Contents
List of Basic Weather Words
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy.
Weather is an integral part of our daily lives, and being able to talk about it accurately and fluently is essential. Whether you’re planning a trip, discussing the day’s forecast with a colleague, or simply making small talk with a friend, having a strong grasp of weather vocabulary can make all the difference.
- Sunny
- Rainy
- Windy
- Hot
- Cloudy
- Stormy
- Cold
- Snowy
- Rain
- Drizzle
- Rainbow
- Snow
Basic Weather Terms with Pictures and Examples
Sunny
Weather characterized by clear skies and bright sunshine.
- Example: The beach was crowded with people enjoying the sunny weather.
Rainy
Weather characterized by frequent or heavy rainfall.
- Example: The streets were flooded due to the rainy weather.
Windy
Weather characterized by strong winds.
- Example: The trees swayed in the windy weather.
Hot
Weather characterized by high temperatures.
- Example: The pool was crowded with people trying to beat the hot weather.
Cloudy
Weather characterized by a covering of clouds in the sky.
- Example: The sky was cloudy and overcast, blocking out the sun.
Stormy
Weather characterized by strong winds, heavy rain, thunder, and lightning.
- Example: The boats were docked in the harbor to avoid the stormy weather.
Cold
Weather characterized by low temperatures.
- Example: The children bundled up in warm clothes to play outside in the cold weather.
Snowy
Weather characterized by falling snow or a covering of snow on the ground.
- Example: The town was transformed into a winter wonderland after a snowy weather.
Rain
Precipitation in the form of liquid water droplets falling from the atmosphere.
- Example: The children played outside in the rain and jumped in puddles.
Drizzle
Light rain falling in very fine drops.
- Example: The windshield wipers were turned on to clear the drizzle from the windshield.
Rainbow
A meteorological phenomenon caused by reflection, refraction, and dispersion of light in water droplets.
- Example: The rainbow appeared in the sky after the rain stopped.
Snow
Precipitation in the form of ice crystals that falls from clouds.
- Example: The children built a snowman in the front yard after a heavy snow.
Useful Words to Describe the Weather
Advanced Weather Terms List
Sun
- Bright – The weather was bright and sunny.
- Blazing – The sun was blazing down that afternoon.
- Sunlight – I was dazzled by the sunlight.
- Sunshine – It was a cool day with fitful sunshine.
Rain
- Drizzling– It’s been drizzling all day.
- Pouring – It was absolutely pouring with rain.
- Raining – It is raining cats and dogs.
- Lashing – The rain was lashing the windows.
Clouds
- Cloudy – It was so cloudy that the top of the mountain was invisible.
- Gloomy – It was a wet and gloomy day.
- Foggy – It was foggy and the sun shone feebly through the murk.
- Overcast – The sky was soon overcast.
- Clear – His visit came out of a clear sky.
Fog
- Mist – The sun will evaporate the mist.
- Haze – The sun was surrounded by a golden haze.
- Dense fog – The airport was closed in by the dense fog.
- Patchy fog – Drizzle and patchy fog are forecast.
Snow
- Snowfall – There was very little snowfall last year.
- Sleet – The rain was turning to sleet.
- Snowstorm – The snowstorm will last till tomorrow afternoon.
- Snowflake – A single snowflake landed on her nose.
- Blizzard – Eleanor arrived in the midst of a blizzard.
Wind
- Breeze – A cold breeze was blowing hard.
- Blustery – The day was cold and blustery.
- Windy – It was windy and Jake felt cold.
- Windstorm – The sea was choppy today because of the windstorm.
- Hurricane – A hurricane hit the city yesterday at 5 p.m.
Temperature
- Hot – The weather was hot, without a breath of wind.
- Warm – It is nice and warm today.
- Cool – It was a lovely cool evening.
- Cold – The cold weather exhilarated the walkers.
- Freezing – It is freezing cold now.
Natural Disasters
- Landslide – The railroad was blocked by a landslide.
- Avalanche – They were killed by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.
- Storm – The weather forecast is for severe storms tonight.
- Drought – They are preparing against a drought.
- Earthquake – We had an awful earthquake last week.
Useful Weather Words & Terms Image
Weather Vocabulary | Video
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