Whether you’re visiting France or any other French-speaking country, the weather is going to be an important consideration. You don’t want to be caught in the rain when you’re least expecting it. To help you get started, we compiled some simple French weather vocabulary that should help you begin to understand the local prévisions météo (weather forecasts). And if you’re ever stuck trying to make conversation with someone in France, commenting on the weather is a surefire way to hit things off.
The Seasons In French
the season — la saison
the spring — le printemps
the summer — l’été
the autumn — l’automne
the winter — l’hiver
the rainy season — la saison des pluies
the dry season — la saison sèche
French Weather Vocabulary
the weather — le temps
the climate — le climat
the degree — le degré
the sunlight — la lumière du soleil
the rain — la pluie
the cloud — le nuage
the snow — la neige
the wind — le vent
tropical — tropical
the storm — la tempête
temperate — tempéré
cloudy — nuageux
the weather forecast — la prévision météo
the thunder — le tonnerre
the lightning — l’éclair
the frost — le givre
the blizzard — la tempête de neige
the hail — la grêle
the drizzle — la bruine
the rainbow — l’arc-en-ciel
French Weather Phrases
What is the weather like? — Quel temps fait-il ?
The sun is shining. — Le soleil brille.
The sky is cloudy. — Le ciel est couvert.
It stopped raining. — La pluie a cessé.
It was snowing all day. — Il a neigé toute la journée.
A strong wind is blowing. — Le vent souffle très fort.
Be careful, there’s black ice on the sidewalk. — Attention, il y a du verglas sur le trottoir.
A thunderstorm is coming. — Un orage va bientôt éclater.
French Natural Disaster Vocabulary
the natural disaster — le catastrophe naturelle
the earthquake — le tremblement de terre
the tsunami — le tsunami
the flood — l’inondation
the cyclone — le cyclone
the hurricane — l’ouragan
the tornado — la tornade