Chapter 1 – Introduction to some English weather words
In the first chapter of Emma and Lucas – A Journey to Australia you are introduced to our main characters -Emma and Lucas. (Well, there is also another main character, but you’ll meet her later.) The Chinese twins are 20 years old, and as we discover, they are preparing to head off on a trip to Australia. As they pack their bags, Lucas observes that the weather outside is “sunny“, and due to the apparent absence of any wind, he predicts that “…it’s going to be a hot day today.” In the ensueing dialogue his sister agrees, but notes that she plans to bring a thick wool “jumper” (i.e. sweater) “…so that I’m able to stay warm on the flight.”
The English weather words used in this chapter- “sunny – wind – warm – cold – hot” are of course only a sample of the words commonly used. But they are nonetheless important. As a topic of conversation, the weather is a common meeting place for practically all human beings. If you want to start a conversation with someone and you’re not sure what to say, you might mention something about the weather. Australians will often use exaggerated expressions to describe the weather, a cold and windy day becomes “freezing”, and if the forecast is for an uncomfortably hot day, then it’s going to be a “scorcher”. Heavy rain might be said to be “bucketing down” – just to mention a few.
“Australians will often use exaggerated expressions to describe the weather…”
Leaving aside the heavy “slang”, and in addition to the words you’ll find in Chapter 1, there are a few more ordinary words commonly used by Australians to describe or discuss the weather. We suggest that once you’ve mastered the English weather words in Chapter 1, that you also familiarise yourself with the below, noting that words like “rainy” and “wet” are often used interchangeably:
- rainy / wet
- cloudy / overcast
- humid / muggy
- (cool or warm) breeze
- windy
Note that Australian news and weather reports will often used the expression “gusty winds” to describe strong bursts of winds, although this is less common in informal conversation.
Moving on from English weather words…
“Although they haven’t departed yet, they feel like their journey to Australia has already started…“
Chapter 1 is more than just an introduction to some of the most important weather words in the English language. The closing sentence is intended to awaken a sense of curiousity in the reader – what happens from here? Hopefully once you’ve listened to, read, and studied the content in Chapter 1, you will feel just a little bit curious to move onto the next chapter and find out what happens next. The story which forms the basis of Reality English Coaching’s 3-month course contains over 1,000 of the most commonly used words in the English language. If you make a real effort to learn not just the English weather words, but also any other unfamiliar words that you come across, then you will have laid a solid foundation for your ongoing English communication.
The first 3 and a half chapters of Emma and Lucas – A Journey to Australia are available on our Free Course Material page. Below you watch a preview of Chapter 1 with subtitles.