Weather

English speakers love to talk about the weather. It is a way of breaking the ice (starting a conversation). People talk about the weather on the phone and in person. Friends and family talk about the weather before they discuss what's new. Co-workers talk about the weather before starting a hard day of work. Even strangers discuss the weather. Learn the proper vocabulary and expressions, and you will find it easy to start a conversation anytime and anywhere with anyone you meet!

Common questions and responses about Weather

What's it like out? It's miserable out. How's the weather? It's ten below. (-10 degrees) Do you have rain? We haven't had a drop of rain for weeks. What's the temperature there? It's 22 degrees Celcius. It's snowing here, what's it doing there? It's pouring outside. (raining heavily) Beautiful day, huh? We couldn't ask for a better day than this. What's the weather forecast? They're calling for blue skies all week.

One common mistake learners make when talking about the weather is mixing up the noun, adjective and verb forms of weather words.

Example 1: How's the weather?

It is snow. Incorrect

It is snowing. Correct

It is snowy. Correct

Example 2: What's it like out?

It is rain. Incorrect

It is raining. Correct

It is rainy. Correct

Example 3: What's the weather like?

It is sun. Incorrect

It is sunny. Correct

The sun is shining. Correct

Expressions used in a weather report:

a high of twenty degrees

a low of -25

20 percent chance of snow

mainly sunny

sunny with cloudy periods

record high/low

above/below average temperatures

a few flurries

5-day forecast

temperatures are going to drop/dip/plunge (go down quickly)

temperatures are going to rise/soar/climb (go up quickly)

a warm/cold front is moving in (air from another region is arriving)