How to talk about the weather in English

What is the weather like where you are at today? Is it always a little unpredictable or pretty consistent? Sometimes we never know, which is why everyone is always checking the weather reports. Sometimes we simply ask people, “hey, what is the weather like today?”.In this article we will show you how to talk about the weather in english.

A beautiful day today, isn’t it? It’s warm and sunny and a lovely day for a walk in the park.

Or is it a bit chilly and cloudy where you are? Overcast skies and slightly rainy?

Or perhaps it’s hot and humid with a thunderstorm soon approaching?

Why is it that everyone always seems to be talking about the weather? Every culture and every language seems to have that one topic in common. Talking about the weather in English can sometimes be a bit tricky.  If we think about all of the countries that speak English, the climates are so very different. Take just the United States for example, the weather in New York is definitely not what the same as the weather in San Francisco or Los Angeles.

Why is it so important to know how to talk about the weather in English?

Well, in addition to the wide range of vocabulary used when talking about the weather in English, it’s also a really important part of ‘small talk’ and it makes conversations with strangers a lot easier!  We all have the weather in common so why not talk about it, all the time? Small talk is just polite conversation between two people that may not know each other very well. Talking about the weather is often how people start conversations with others.  Or when you just don’t know what to say, talking about the weather is a good and safe option. 

Conversation starter phrases about the weather in English

Here are some great ways to start a conversation.  They are all polite and friendly ways to speak about the weather in a way that isn’t so dry and boring.

Each of these are friendly and easy to use. These phrases can be said to really anyone and in any situation. Starting a conversation while talking about the weather is easy, all you have to do is look outside and know a bit of vocabulary. So let’s look then to some vocabulary and words that often go together.

Vocabulary words to talk about the weather in English

Hot/Warm/Cool/Cold

These are all words that are used to describe the temperature.  Hot is only used to describe very, very warm temperatures such as in the middle of summer.  In some parts of the world it is hot all year, however in most places only throughout the summer months.  Warm would usually be used for the Spring and sometimes the Fall. Cool/chilly are usually used for the Fall or when it is only a little cold.  Cold is only for the winter months when it is very cold and you need a heavy coat.

• • Wow, it’s so hot outside today, I’ve been sweating non-stop!
  • It’s finally warm outside and I can go out with only a t-shirt.
  • Tonight will be a little chilly so I’m going to bring an extra jacket.
  • Can you believe how cold it’s been lately with all of this snow?

Sunny/Rainy/Cloudy

Sunny is used to describe a clear day with no clouds in the sky. Rainy is when it is dark and cloudy with rain.  Cloudy is simply when there are many, many clouds in the sky without the sun.

• • I strongly prefer sunny days to rainy days because there’s nothing better than relaxing at the beach.
  • I wish it wasn’t cloudy today… Everyone planned to sun bath at the beach!

Windy/Misty/Foggy

Windy is when there is a lot of wind, usually very strong with the trees blowing all around.  Misty is a bit of a mix between foggy and rainy. If you know the city of San Francisco, this is exactly what misty is.  There is light moisture in the air but not full rain. Foggy is basically when it is cloudy but on the ground.

• • It is so windy that it almost blew me over when I tried to walk outside.
  • Everyone always thinks San Francisco is warm but really it is often foggy and misty, especially in the evenings.
  • Last night it was so foggy when I was driving home that I could barely see in front of me!

Dry/Humid

Dry and humid usually refer to climates in general but sometimes that can change based on season. In general, the tropical jungles of somewhere like Brazil are very humid, or moist, very wet.  Whereas the climate in California or in Spain and generally very dry, meaning that there is no moisture in the air.

• • Wow, it’s so humid today that I started sweating right when I walked outside!
  • I prefer dry weather to humid weather because it’s much easier to do my hair.

Stormy/Thunder/Lightning

Stormy describes when the weather is overall very dark, cloudy and rainy. When there is a storm, thunder is the sound that you hear which is actually the sound from the lightning, or the light flashes in the sky.

• • I wouldn’t go outside right now, it’s really stormy!
  • All of this loud thunder is making my dog very nervous.
  • Did you see that intense lightening flash? It really lit up the entire sky.

Well, now you’re ready! Talking about the weather in English is easy! Just take some of the simple conversation starters and talk up a storm(talk a lot) with random people anywhere! You don’t know what to talk about with some new people you just met? Perhaps the weather could be of some assistance. Is it raining cats and dogs(to be raining a lot, non-stop) right now? Let’s see what other ways and phrases to talk about the weather in English that you can think of! Let us know some of your creative ideas!