Part 1: Weather Collocations
Collocations are words that naturally go together. Native speakers use these combinations automatically!
Adjectives + Weather
| Collocation | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| heavy rain | "The heavy rain caused flooding in the streets." | Intense rainfall |
| torrential downpour | "We got caught in a torrential downpour." | Extremely heavy rain |
| scorching heat | "The scorching heat made it impossible to go outside." | Extremely hot weather |
| bitterly cold | "It was bitterly cold with temperatures below zero." | Extremely cold |
| thick fog | "Thick fog delayed all flights at the airport." | Dense fog with poor visibility |
| strong winds | "Strong winds knocked down several trees." | Powerful wind |
More Weather Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| light drizzle | "There's just a light drizzle, you won't need a heavy coat." |
| clear skies | "We're expecting clear skies all weekend." |
| freezing temperatures | "Freezing temperatures are forecast for tonight." |
| bright sunshine | "We enjoyed bright sunshine throughout our holiday." |
| gale force winds | "Gale force winds battered the coast last night." |
Practice: Collocations
Exercise 1: Complete the collocations
1. The rain lasted for three days. (heavy/strong)
2. We couldn't see anything because of the fog. (thick/heavy)
3. It was cold, so we stayed indoors. (bitterly/very)
4. The heat made it unbearable. (scorching/burning)
5. winds knocked down trees. (Strong/Heavy)
Part 2: Weather Idioms
Idioms are expressions with meanings different from the literal words. They make your English sound natural!
Common Weather Idioms:
- Under the weather - Feeling ill or unwell
"I'm feeling a bit under the weather today." - Every cloud has a silver lining - Something good in every bad situation
"I lost my job, but every cloud has a silver lining." - It's raining cats and dogs - Raining very heavily
"We can't go out now - it's raining cats and dogs!" - A storm in a teacup - Making a big fuss about something unimportant
"Their argument was just a storm in a teacup." - Come rain or shine - No matter what happens
"I'll be there for you, come rain or shine." - Break the ice - Make people feel more comfortable
"He told a joke to break the ice at the meeting." - On cloud nine - Extremely happy
"She's been on cloud nine since she got engaged." - Weather the storm - Survive a difficult period
"The company managed to weather the storm."
Practice: Idioms
Exercise 2: Match the idiom to its meaning
1. "I'm feeling a bit under the today." (weather/clouds)
2. "Every cloud has a silver ." (lining/edge)
3. "It's raining cats and !" (dogs/mice)
4. "She's been on cloud since the good news." (nine/seven)
5. "I'll be there, come rain or ." (shine/snow)
Part 3: Weather Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are verbs combined with prepositions or adverbs that create new meanings!
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| clear up | Weather becomes better | "I hope it clears up before the picnic." |
| cloud over | Sky becomes cloudy | "It was sunny but it's clouding over now." |
| warm up | Temperature increases | "It should warm up by the afternoon." |
| cool down | Temperature decreases | "The weather will cool down after the storm." |
| brighten up | Weather becomes sunnier | "The forecast says it will brighten up later." |
| die down | Wind or storm becomes less strong | "We'll go outside once the wind dies down." |
| set in | Bad weather arrives and continues | "Winter has really set in now." |
| blow over | Storm passes | "Let's wait for the storm to blow over." |
Usage Tips:
Clear up is very common - use it to talk about improving weather
Set in is usually for bad weather that will last a while
Die down is great for describing wind or storms becoming calmer
Practice: Phrasal Verbs
Exercise 3: Complete with the correct phrasal verb
1. I hope it up before the wedding. (clears/brightens)
2. The sky started to over in the afternoon. (cloud/darken)
3. Let's wait for the wind to down. (die/calm)
4. It should up by lunchtime. (warm/heat)
5. Winter has really in now. (set/come)
Well done! You've mastered weather vocabulary - come rain or shine, you're ready!