Weather | w5

prolonged sunshine

a period of bright sunny weather that lasts for a very long time | Ex: The region enjoyed prolonged sunshine which was great for the summer holidays.

scattered showers

short periods of rain that happen in a few places but not everywhere | Ex: The forecast predicts scattered showers across the country tomorrow afternoon.

thunderstorm

a storm with thunder and lightning and typically also heavy rain | Ex: We had to cancel our picnic because a severe thunderstorm hit the park.

overcast

with a sky completely covered by gray clouds | Ex: It is a bit gloomy today because the sky is completely overcast.

downpour

a sudden and very heavy fall of rain | Ex: We got caught in a massive downpour and were completely soaked.

scorcher

an extremely hot and sunny day | Ex: Yesterday was an absolute scorcher with temperatures reaching nearly 40 degrees.

drizzle

very light rain with small drops that fall continuously | Ex: It was not raining heavily but there was a constant drizzle all morning.

to be soaked to the skin

to be completely wet after being out in heavy rain | Ex: I forgot my umbrella and got completely soaked to the skin on my way home.

frosty

very cold with a thin white layer of ice covering outside surfaces | Ex: It was a beautiful frosty morning with ice covering the grass and trees.

blizzard

a severe snowstorm with strong winds and very poor visibility | Ex: The roads were closed because a dangerous blizzard made driving impossible.

subzero temperatures

temperatures that fall below zero degrees | Ex: We are expecting subzero temperatures tonight so make sure you wear a warm coat.

black ice

a thin invisible layer of ice on a road that makes driving very dangerous | Ex: Several cars crashed this morning because of the unexpected black ice on the bridge.

slush

partly melted snow that is soft and wet on the ground | Ex: Walking through the city was unpleasant because the streets were covered in dirty slush.

sleet

rain that is partially frozen when it falls | Ex: The weather was miserable with a mix of freezing wind and sleet.

to shiver

to shake slightly because you feel very cold or ill | Ex: We stood at the bus stop and started to shiver in the freezing wind.

heat wave

a period of unusually hot weather that continues for several days | Ex: The unexpected heat wave caused many people to buy air conditioners.

sultry

uncomfortably warm and with air that feels wet | Ex: The tropical climate is often very sultry during the summer months.

drought

a long period when there is little or no rain | Ex: The severe drought ruined many crops and caused a shortage of drinking water.

sunburn

painful red skin caused by spending too much time in the sun | Ex: I forgot to apply sun cream and got a terrible sunburn on my shoulders.

heatstroke

a dangerous condition caused by being in extreme heat for too long | Ex: Make sure to drink plenty of water to avoid getting heatstroke during the hike.

lousy

very poor or bad in quality often used to describe terrible weather | Ex: We had to cancel our hiking trip because of the lousy weather.

ghastly

extremely bad or unpleasant | Ex: The weather was absolutely ghastly with freezing wind and non-stop rain.

boiling

extremely hot often used in informal spoken English | Ex: Can we turn on the air conditioning because it is boiling in this room.

smoggy

filled with a mixture of smoke and fog caused by pollution | Ex: The city skyline was barely visible on such a smoggy morning.

arid

having little or no rain resulting in a very dry climate | Ex: The region is too arid to support any kind of traditional agriculture.

inhospitable

describing a harsh climate or environment that is difficult to live in | Ex: The desert can be an extremely inhospitable place during the summer.

changeable

weather that tends to change quickly and often throughout the day | Ex: The weather in spring is quite changeable so you should always bring a jacket.

unpredictable

impossible to know in advance how the weather will behave | Ex: The climate in the mountains is notoriously unpredictable.

lovely weather for ducks

a humorous idiom used when it is raining heavily | Ex: Look at that downpour outside it is certainly lovely weather for ducks.

it is not the heat it is the humidity

a common phrase meaning that the moisture in the air makes hot weather feel much worse | Ex: I can survive high temperatures but as they say it is not the heat it is the humidity.