Weather and Temperature: English Vocabulary List

a period in the summer during which wind blows and rain falls in India or other hot South Asian countries

"The monsoon brought heavy rain that flooded the streets for days."

"A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind bringing torrential rainfall to South and Southeast Asia"

the tiny water drops that form on cool surfaces during the night, caused by condensation

"There is morning dew."

"The delicate spiderweb glistened with tiny droplets of morning dew, catching the first rays of sunlight."

(in meteorology) a line on a map or chart connecting points that have the same atmospheric pressure at a given moment

"The isobar shows pressure."

"Meteorologists use the isobar to identify areas of high and low atmospheric pressure on weather maps."

a scale devised to estimate wind speeds based on the observed effects of the wind on the sea surface and land features

"The Beaufort scale measures wind from calm to a violent hurricane."

"The Beaufort scale is an empirical measure of wind intensity based on observed sea conditions"

frozen raindrops or partially melted snowflakes that fall as ice pellets

"The sleet bounced off the window and made a tapping sound."

"Sleet is a type of winter precipitation consisting of small ice pellets that form when raindrops freeze before hitting the ground"

a meteorological phenomenon characterized by a dense, widespread snowfall that significantly reduces visibility, often resulting in a featureless landscape

"Complete whiteout on the road."

"The sudden whiteout conditions made it impossible to see the road ahead, forcing the driver to pull over."

a drastic and sudden rush of wind

"A strong gust of wind blew his hat off."

"A powerful gust knocked over the chairs and tables set up outside the seaside café."

partially melted snow or ice, often forming a wet and muddy mixture

"The snow turned to dirty slush on the busy city road."

"Slush is a partially melted mixture of snow and water that forms on roads after heavy snowfall"

a sudden, intense, and brief storm characterized by strong winds and often accompanied by rain or snow

"A sudden squall hit the small boat out at sea."

"The fishermen rushed back to shore when a fierce squall appeared on the horizon."

a sudden and rapid flooding of a normally dry area, often caused by heavy rainfall or the sudden release of water

"The flash flood washed away the road."

"The sudden flash flood washed away cars and flooded basements after six inches of rain fell in less than two hours near the small town."

a sudden, intense appearance of sunlight, often breaking through clouds and creating a radiant and vivid effect in the sky

"A beautiful sunburst broke through the dark clouds after the rain."

"A sunburst is a sudden appearance of sunlight through an opening in the clouds"

a weather phenomenon with an extensive circulation of winds around a central region of high barometric pressure that is connected with calm and fine weather

"An anticyclone means calm."

"An anticyclone settled over the region, bringing clear skies and dry weather for the entire week."

a strong, noisy, and gusty wind, often accompanied by turbulent

"The bluster of the wind made it hard to walk straight."

"The politician's bluster was just loud, empty talk without any real substance."

pleasantly warm, mild, and soothing

"The evening is balmy."

"The balmy evening was perfect for a walk on the beach and they stayed out until the stars appeared in the sky."

extremely hot and uncomfortable, often causing sweating

"Today is sweltering."

"The sweltering heat made it impossible to go outside without air conditioning so everyone stayed indoors with the fans running all day."

so hot as to produce a hissing or crackling sound

"The bacon is sizzling."

"The sizzling sound of the bacon cooking in the pan made everyone in the kitchen feel hungry and eager for breakfast to be ready."

becoming dried, often due to intense heat or a lack of moisture

"The sun is parching."

"The parching desert sun dried out his skin and made his lips crack and bleed after just a few hours of exposure."

characterized by high humidity and oppressive warmth

"The weather is muggy."

"The muggy summer air felt thick and heavy making it hard to breathe and causing everyone to sweat through their clothes within minutes."

(of weather) having a sharp, cold quality

"The morning air is nippy."

"The nippy morning air made her shiver so she grabbed a warm coat before leaving the house to walk to the bus stop."

extremely cold

"The algid wind blew all night."

"The algid water of the mountain stream was too cold to swim in even on the hottest day of the summer."

water in forms such as rain, snow, hail, or sleet that falls from the atmosphere to the Earth's surface

"The forecast says there will be heavy precipitation tomorrow."

"Precipitation is any form of water falling from the atmosphere to the ground"

a warm, dry wind that descends the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, causing a rapid and significant increase in temperature

"A warm chinook wind melted all the snow in just one day."

"The chinook arrived unexpectedly and raised the temperature by thirty degrees in just a few hours."

characterized by intense and oppressive heat

"The desert is torrid."

"We had to stop our hike because the torrid heat of the afternoon made it impossible to continue walking comfortably."

extreme heat, often associated with flames or burning

"Flaming arrows flew fast."

"The flaming torch lit up the dark cave and revealed ancient paintings on the walls that had not been seen for thousands of years."

having a temperature that is only slightly warm

"Water is lukewarm."

"The lukewarm bathwater provided a comforting sensation after his long and strenuous journey."

very cold

"The weather is arctic."

"Bundled up in layers, we ventured out into the arctic air, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights."

freezing as though having sub-zero temperatures

"The water is glacial."

"The glacial ice cave was so cold that our breath instantly turned to frost on the frigid air."