【使える天気の英語表現】What’s the weather like today? Words and phrases to describe the weather!

Hey guys, it’s Freya!

It is still cold, but the sun stays out longer.  It feels like it was cold for so long.  I’m glad to finally see a glimpse of spring.

This made me think about the ways the English language describes weather. So that’s what I will be exploring today!  It is a fact that England is known for its  unpredictable weather, so it is only natural to have words and phrases to reflect the varying types.

Rain – 雨の英語表現はこんなにある！

There is a mix of phrases to describe the scale of rain from little to heavy. Considering England is known for its rain, it is probably best to start there.

① “It’s raining cats and dogs.”

This is  a famous British phrase to mean that it is raining heavily . It’s quite a funny phrase and really does not make a lot of sense! The etymology seems unknown, but one theory that I like is that in old England , cats and dogs would seek shelter in thatched roofs but when it rained heavily, they would fall out, thus seeming like it is “raining cats and dogs”!

② “It’s tipping it down,” ” It’s bucketing it down,”  or “It’s chucking it down”

all mean it’s raining heavily, as if someone is physically chucking water down on us!

③ “The heavens have opened.” 

Imagine the heavens opening – the sky parting – as if all the rain that could possibly fall from the sky does – definitely used for heavy rain.

④ “Downpour”

This is used to describe a rain storm – so much rain is pouring down!

⑤ “Drizzle”

This is used to describe rain that is light; there are only a few drops.

⑥ “Spitting”

Again, this is used to describe light rain. It is like someone is spitting from above, so it is only coming in small amounts.

⑦ “Showers”

This can be used in either context. The noun ‘shower’ means “a fall of rain,” but then you can add an adjective in front to describe how strong: “There were heavy showers today!” or “We are expecting some light showers in the afternoon.”

There are many more words and phrases that can be used to illustrate rain in English, or even the temperature that comes with it! As it rains so much in England, this makes sense – but I wonder if less wet countries then have fewer phrases for rain? Interesting!

Sun – 晴れの英語表現はこちら！

When the sun does show its face in England, it can be beautiful! However, it is definitely a rare occurrence so there are definitely fewer  words and phrases to describe it.

① “Bright”

The adjective ‘bright’ in itself means to give off light, so when the sun is out this is a perfect adjective to describe the day! “It was a beautiful, bright day yesterday!”

② “Sunshine”

Of course if the sun comes out, the word ‘sunshine’ can be used. It is an uncountable noun.  When it is really sunny, you could say “There was lots of sunshine today!”

③ “Scorching”

This adjective simply means that something is boiling hot. So, when the sun comes out, and it is a really hot day, you could say “Today is scorching!”

④ “Sunny”

An easy one, but obviously, if the sun is out, you can simply say “It is a sunny day!”

While writing this I have noticed that when describing rain in English, you seem to describe the type of rain – light or heavy – but the sun has a variety of aspects including temperature and brightness.

There are many more ways to discuss the weather in English. Perhaps you could have a look at how different seasons are described, or different temperatures! I wonder if these compare to any other languages you may know?

Take a look outside and see if you could use a new way to describe the weather you see!

Today’s lesson: 

It rains a lot in England, so it is good to have a bank of words and phrases to describe the weather you see.

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Freya

I live and work in the UK and have a degree in English Language and Literature. When I am not on Fruitful, I work as a teaching assistant at a school. I am passionate about the environment and love to travel and read.