Weather Vocabulary

IELTS Weather and Seasons Vocabulary: The Word List

Whether you are describing your hometown’s climate in the Speaking test or discussing environmental shifts in the Writing test, your vocabulary choices can significantly boost your score. Here are the best collocations, synonyms, phrasal verbs, and idioms for describing weather and seasons, followed by two practice tests.

1. Weather Collocations

A collocation is two or more words that naturally go together. Using them correctly prevents your English from sounding like a direct translation.

“Tomorrow we expect heavy rain.” ✓
“Tomorrow we expect strong rain.” ✗

Strong winds: Winds with high speed and force.
“Well, usually in late August and September, there are really strong winds where I live.”

Mild weather / mild climate: Pleasant weather conditions.
“We can see that there are more heat waves in places that typically have mild climates, such as Europe.”

Light rain: Gentle, low-intensity rainfall.
“I only use an umbrella when it’s raining heavily; if it’s a light rain, I will just suck it up and deal with it.”

Heavy rain: Rain that falls strongly and in large amounts.
“Tomorrow we expect heavy rain.”

Climate change: Long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.
“Global warming has become a big issue recently, and if we don’t care about the environment, there may be irreversible climate change.”

Check the forecast: To look at the weather report.
“I always check the forecast in the morning so I know whether to bring an umbrella with me.”

Get caught in the rain: To be outside when it starts raining, often without an umbrella or comfortable shelter.
“I forgot my umbrella this morning and got caught in the rain on my way to class.”

Heat wave: A long period of unusually hot weather.
“Many European countries are experiencing heat waves, which is quite strange since they usually have rather mild weather.”

Flash flood: A sudden local flood due to large amounts of rain.
“The heavy rain last night caused a flash flood on our street, and the road was closed for hours.”

2. Temperature Synonyms (Avoid Repeating “Hot” and “Cold”)

Pay close attention to the specific context and tone of each word.

Scorching: Used to emphasize extreme, burning heat.
“On days when the sun is scorching, I prefer to just stay inside and try to beat the heat.”

Balmy: Warm and comfortable (often used for late spring or summer).
“I love May and June; during those months it’s rather balmy and quite comfortable.”

Gloomy: Dark, grey, overcast, and depressing.
“Although I would love to travel to London for a vacation, I hear that the weather is quite gloomy year-round, so I wouldn’t like to live there.”

Freezing: Extremely cold.
“I can’t stand January; the mornings are freezing and the short days make it unbearable.”

Muggy: Warm and humid.
“I don’t mind the heat, so long as it isn’t too muggy; I hate humid weather.” (so long as = as long as)

3. Weather Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs show a natural, native-like command of English, which is highly rewarded in the IELTS Speaking exam.

Die down: To gradually become less strong, active, or violent.
“When the rain dies down, we will go for a walk.”

Clear up: When clouds, rain, or storms disappear to reveal bright skies.
“Although it rains often, it usually clears up within an hour or two.”

Blow over: When a storm, problem, or argument is forgotten without causing major harm.
Weather: “The meteorologist said that the storm should blow over by tomorrow morning.”
Non-weather: “When Sarah cost the company several thousand dollars due to a mistake she had made, she was quite nervous, but I assured her that it would all blow over in a week or two.”

4. Weather Idioms

Using idiomatic language naturally is a key requirement to reach Band 7 or higher in the Lexical Resource criteria. These fit perfectly into conversational English.

Rain or shine: We always do something no matter what happens or what the weather is like.
“I go for my morning run every single day, rain or shine.”

To save for a rainy day: To reserve money or resources for a future time when things might be difficult.
“It’s wise to put a portion of your income aside to save for a rainy day.”

Steal someone’s thunder: To take the attention or praise away from someone else’s achievements.
“I waited to announce my high exam score until the day after his birthday because I didn’t want to steal his thunder.”

Take a rain check: To politely decline an offer now, but suggest doing it at a later date.
“I’m too busy studying tonight, so I’ll have to take a rain check on dinner.”

Under the weather: Feeling slightly sick, tired, or unwell.
“I couldn’t attend the speaking practice session yesterday because I was feeling under the weather.”

When it rains, it pours: When one bad thing happens, other bad things tend to happen at the same time; or, events (good or bad) occur all at once. Often said in a humorous or witty way at the end of a sentence.
“This morning I dropped my laptop, then I spilled my coffee on myself at lunch, and at the end of the day, my boss fired me. When it rains, it pours!”

Practice Test 1

Challenge: Try to use at least 5 words or phrases from the list above in your answers.

Speaking Part 1
What is the weather typically like in your hometown?
What is your favorite season, and why?
Does the weather ever affect your mood or daily routine?
Speaking Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe a time when you got caught in bad weather.

You should say:

When and where it happened
What kind of weather it was
What you did to handle it

And explain how you felt about the experience.

Practice Test 2

Challenge: Try to use at least 5 words or phrases from the list above in your answers.

Speaking Part 1
Do you check the weather forecast every day?
What do you like to do when the weather is bad?
Speaking Part 3
Do you think the weather in your country has changed over the last few decades?
Why do some people feel happier in warm weather than in cold weather?
Climate change is one of the most serious threats facing the world today. Should governments take the lead in solving this problem, or should individuals take responsibility?
How does extreme weather, such as flash floods or heat waves, affect people’s lives?