WEATHER VOCABULARY
SPEAKING TASK
Describe a time when you experienced extreme weather conditions. You should say:
when this was
where you were
what the weather was like
and say how you felt about the experience.
Example:
I was studying English in a language school a few years ago … we were in Cornwall in
the UK … we’d been enjoying lovely sunny days … not a cloud in the sky … when all
of a sudden there was a change in the weather … we were in town walking around
the shops when it started to pour down = да истура … I’d never seen such a heavy
rain before … within about 10 minutes the roads were full of water … I think they call it
a flash flood … it was like being in the middle of a tropical storm … the water was
almost up to my knees … the weather forecast hadn’t predicted it, so everyone was
taken by surprise … I’m not sure you could call it ‘extreme’ weather as a few hours
later it started to clear up … the sun came out and slowly the water level went down
… but a lot of people’s houses were flooded so it would have been extreme for them …
I found it all quite exciting … in my country we generally have a very mild climate =
блага, умерена and don’t often get floods like this so it was quite an experience for
me.
VOCABULARY:
to be below freezing: below zero degrees Celsius
bitterly cold: very cold and unpleasant
a blanket of snow: a complete covering of snow
boiling hot: very hot (informal)
changeable: weather that often changes
a change in the weather: when weather conditions change
clear blue skies: a sky without clouds, not a cloud in the sky
to clear up: when clouds or rain disappear
to come out (the sun): when the sun appears out of a cloudy sky
a cold spell/ snap: a short period of cold weather
cool: temperature in between warm and cold
The days were boiling hot, but the nights were cool and comfortable for sleeping.
to dress up warm: to wear warm clothes to protect yourself against wintry conditions
a drop of rain: a little bit of rain
I felt a drop of rain.
drizzling: raining slightly (роси)
I think I'll take the dog for a walk. It's only drizzling now.
drought /draʊt/ : a long period of time when there is little or no rain (суша)
England has had several summer droughts in recent years.
Large areas of Africa are affected by severe drought. = се погодени од тешка суша
Some of the newer plants in the garden died during the drought.
Forest fires are a serious danger during a drought.
flood: overflow = прелевање of rain water (поплава)
The flood was so bad, our basement was full of water.
a flash flood: a sudden and severe flood of water caused by heavy rain = пороен
дожд тешка/ сериозна поплава
We were driving through a flash-flooded road.
freezing cold: very cold (informal)
frost: ice crystals on a frozen surface (слана, мраз)
Some flowers are so strong they can withstand = да издржат frost. 8Б/8А
to get caught in the rain: to be outside when it rains unexpectedly
to get drenched: to get very wet
hail: small pieces of ice that fall during a storm
There was so much hail that some of the trailer homes were destroyed.
heatstroke: a serious condition caused by being too long in hot weather
a heat-wave: a period of very hot weather
A long summer heat-wave had caused most of the crops to die. toploten bran
heavy rain: intense rainfall
humid/ humidity: moisture in the air ( влажност)
It feels a lot hotter than it actually is because of the humidity.
long-range forecast: the weather forecast for several days or weeks ahead
(прогноза за подолг временски период)
mild climate: a climate without extreme weather conditions (умерена клима)
mild winter: a winter that isn’t particularly cold (блага зима)
not a cloud in the sky: see ‘clear blue skies’ above
overcast: covered with clouds; not bright an overcast sky/day (облачно)
Today it will be dull and overcast.
partly cloudy: the skies are sunny and cloudy at the same time
Tomorrow's forecast is partly cloudy with clear skies by nightfall.
to pour down: to rain heavily (истура)
puddle/padl/ collection of rain water (локва)
Children love to splash in puddles when they are wearing rubber boots.
to be rained off: to be cancelled or postponed due to = poradi poor weather
The match/ concert was rained off.
Today's game was rained off and will be played tomorrow instead.
sunny/ dry/ cold spells: short periods of sunny/dry/cold weather
sun shower: a short period of rain that falls when the sun is shining
To be out in a sun shower is thought to be good luck.
Sun showers are unusual weather occurrences.
thick fog: a dense fog that makes visibility very poor
torrential rain: see ‘heavy rain’ above (пороен дожд)
weather forecast: a TV/radio programme/ program or section in a newspaper /
magazine which predicts weather conditions
DIALOGUES:
1. A: What’s the weather like in your country?
Katie: It’s quite changeable (променливо) really … we have periods of time
with clear blue skies then all of a sudden we’ll have torrential rain.
2. A: Which months have the best weather in your country?
Ernst: Well … I suppose it’s a matter of personal taste really … I like it around the end
of October and November … I’m not fond of the heat-waves we often get during the
summer … it’s not freezing cold during these months and we still get lots of sunny
spells (кратки сончеви периоди).
3. A: Does it bother you much when it rains?
Junko: It depends … if I get caught in the rain and I get drenched = накиснам
I don’t like it … but I’m a gardener so a drop of rain = малку дожд is good for my
plants.
4. A: Do you think the weather affects how people feel?
Tierre: Absolutely … yes … I don’t mind the occasional cold spell = кратки периоди
на ладно време but I think the winter months can make you feel down. I hate having
to leave the house in the winter … there’s often a thick fog every morning and we
sometimes get bitterly cold = ладни и непријатни winds … the winter certainly
makes me feel a little depressed … though having said that … it’s always nice to see
the town covered in a blanket of snow.
5. A: Do you think the weather is changing due to global warming?
Ceri: I don’t know if it’s due to global warming or not but the weather in my country is
certainly changing … we’ve been getting quite mild winters = благи зими lately …
the temperatures are sometimes below freezing but only occasionally … and then
during the summer it can get boiling hot with a lot of older people even suffering
from heatstroke = топлотен удар.
6. A: In which ways are weather forecasts useful?
Sinita: Well … if you’re planning a trip or going on holiday it’s important to know
whether you’ll need to dress up warm or take an umbrella … farmers need to know
what the long-range forecast is so they can plan their work … I suppose people who
organize outside/ outdoor events need to know as well in case things get rained off =
одложени/ откажани заради временски прилики.
