This page is about the language used when reporting the weather in English, with audio weather reports and comprehension quizzes.
Every radio and TV show, and many newspapers and websites, report the weather. They give weather forecasts (what they think the weather will be in the future) and sometimes they report on what the weather has been in the past. Here are some typical expressions used in a weather report:
a high of twenty degrees
a low of -25
20 percent chance of snow
mainly sunny
sunny with cloudy periods
record high/low
above/below average temperatures
a few flurries
5-day forecast
temperatures are going to drop/dip (go down)
temperatures are going to plunge (rapidly get very cold)
temperatures are going to rise/climb (go up)
temperatures are going to soar (rapidly get very hot)
a warm/cold front is moving in (air from another region is arriving)
Listen to audio weather reports
Listen to the following weather reports. Listen again, and then answer the comprehension questions. You can read the transcripts to check your understanding.
Weather Report 1 (easy)
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This is CKNY and I'm Anita Pierce with weather. We couldn't ask for a better day for the first day of Spring. Right now it's fifteen degrees and clear. We're expecting blue skies throughout the day. Though there is only a ten percent chance of showers, this good weather can't last forever. It's raining cats and dogs up north, so we should see rain by morning. Don't forget your umbrella tomorrow. Now, stay tuned for local news.
Weather Report 2 (medium)
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Hi, I'm Jesse Williams. This is your weekend weather report. This morning we're seeing sun with cloudy periods as well as a few flurries. Right now I am at the top of Mount Raven where it is plus two and expected to rise to about six degrees by noon. Overnight temperatures will probably drop to at least minus seven. Tomorrow's forecast calls for more flurries with a high of zero and a low of minus twelve. With the wind chill factor, that could put us at a record low of minus twenty. Conditions are perfect for skiing this weekend, but if you're heading out to the slopes tomorrow, please remember to bundle up to avoid frostbite. We'll go back to the newsroom now for a look at what's in sports.
Weather Report 3 (difficult)
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Good morning, this is Alonzo Jacob with your Monday weather report. The heatwave that slowed everybody down this weekend is showing no signs of letting up this week. Our meteorologists suggest that today's temperature could climb to as high as 40 degrees Celsius by the late afternoon. Right now, only an hour after sunrise, the temperature here at the airport is already 29 degrees. However, there is relatively no humidity in the air, so it feels quite comfortable out here at the moment. Unfortunately, there is also no rain in the forecast for the next five days. This is bad news for the thirsty forest fires that are raging across the interior of our province. Looks like setting up a tent in the backyard may be the only way to catch some sleep tonight if you don't have airconditioning. That's all for today's weather. Stay tuned for the morning traffic report.
and Quizzes