French vocabulary for telling and understanding weather forecasts, organized by topic. Includes French terms, English equivalents, and example sentences. Use these words to talk about future weather, explain forecasts, and understand weather reports.
Forecasting Terms
Key French words for weather forecasting, including common verbs and nouns used to talk about predicting the weather.
Table: Forecasting Terms
| French Singulier/Pluriel | English Singular/Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| la prévision / les prévisions | forecast / forecasts | Les prévisions annoncent de la pluie. | The forecasts predict rain. |
| prévoir (que) | to forecast / to predict (that) | On prévoit du soleil demain. | They are forecasting sun tomorrow. |
| annoncer (que) | to announce (that) | La météo annonce un orage. | The weather report announces a storm. |
| le météorologue / les météorologues | meteorologist / meteorologists | Le météorologue explique la situation. | The meteorologist explains the situation. |
| le bulletin météo | weather report | J’écoute le bulletin météo chaque matin. | I listen to the weather report every morning. |
| la tendance | trend | La tendance est à la baisse des températures. | The trend is for temperatures to drop. |
| un épisode | episode / spell | Un épisode de pluie est prévu cet après-midi. | A spell of rain is forecast this afternoon. |
| une alerte météo | weather alert | Il y a une alerte météo pour des vents forts. | There is a weather alert for strong winds. |
| une prévision à court terme | short-term forecast | La prévision à court terme est nuageuse. | The short-term forecast is cloudy. |
| une prévision à long terme | long-term forecast | Les prévisions à long terme sont incertaines. | The long-term forecasts are uncertain. |
Time References
French terms for indicating when weather events are expected, from immediate conditions to longer-range forecasts.
Table: Time References
| French Singulier/Pluriel | English Singular/Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| maintenant | now | Il fait beau maintenant. | It’s nice now. |
| aujourd’hui | today | Aujourd’hui, il pleut toute la journée. | Today, it’s raining all day. |
| ce soir | this evening | Ce soir, le ciel sera dégagé. | This evening, the sky will be clear. |
| demain | tomorrow | Demain, il fera plus chaud. | Tomorrow, it will be warmer. |
| après-demain | the day after tomorrow | Après-demain, une tempête est prévue. | The day after tomorrow, a storm is expected. |
| ce week-end | this weekend | Ce week-end, du soleil est annoncé. | This weekend, sun is forecast. |
| la semaine prochaine | next week | La semaine prochaine, il y aura du vent. | Next week, there will be wind. |
| dans quelques jours | in a few days | Dans quelques jours, les températures remonteront. | In a few days, temperatures will rise again. |
Weather Conditions
Common French vocabulary for describing different types of weather that often appear in forecasts.
Table: Weather Conditions
| French Singulier/Pluriel | English Singular/Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| le soleil | sun | Le soleil brillera demain. | The sun will shine tomorrow. |
| la pluie | rain | La pluie commencera vers midi. | The rain will start around noon. |
| la neige | snow | La neige tomberait en montagne. | Snow is expected in the mountains. |
| le vent | wind | Le vent sera fort cet après-midi. | The wind will be strong this afternoon. |
| les nuages | clouds | Les nuages couvriront le ciel. | Clouds will cover the sky. |
| l’orage | storm | Un orage est probable ce soir. | A storm is likely this evening. |
| le brouillard | fog | Il y aura du brouillard demain matin. | There will be fog tomorrow morning. |
| la grisaille | grey weather / overcast | La grisaille persiste toute la journée. | The grey weather persists all day. |
| la chaleur | heat | La chaleur revient la semaine prochaine. | The heat returns next week. |
| la fraîcheur | coolness | Une fraîcheur matinale est prévue. | A morning coolness is forecast. |
clouds
Les ___ couvriront le ciel.
'les nuages' means 'clouds.' The sentence means, 'Clouds will cover the sky.'
fog
Il y aura du ___ demain matin.
'le brouillard' means 'fog.' The sentence means, 'There will be fog tomorrow morning.'
Intensity and Duration
French words to describe how strong the weather will be and how long it will last.
Table: Intensity and Duration
| French Singulier/Pluriel | English Singular/Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| léger / légère | light | Un vent léger soufflera ce soir. | A light wind will blow this evening. |
| modéré / modérée | moderate | Une pluie modérée est attendue. | Moderate rain is expected. |
| fort / forte | strong | Des rafales fortes sont prévues. | Strong gusts are forecast. |
| intense | intense | Une chaleur intense domine le sud. | Intense heat dominates the south. |
| bref / brève | brief | Un éclaircissement bref aura lieu. | A brief clearing will occur. |
| prolongé / prolongée | prolonged | Un épisode pluvieux prolongé arrive. | A prolonged rainy spell is coming. |
| intermittente(s) | intermittent | Pluies intermittentes cette nuit. | Intermittent showers tonight. |
Additional Vocabulary
Other useful French terms that often appear in the context of weather forecasts.
Table: Additional Vocabulary
| French Singulier/Pluriel | English Singular/Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| le ciel | sky | Le ciel sera bleu demain. | The sky will be blue tomorrow. |
| la température | temperature | La température montera jusqu’à 25 °C. | The temperature will rise to 25 °C. |
| le degré / les degrés | degree / degrees | Il fera 10 degrés ce matin. | It will be 10 degrees this morning. |
| l’humidité (f.) | humidity | L’humidité est élevée aujourd’hui. | Humidity is high today. |
| la pluie battante | heavy rain | La pluie battante durera plusieurs heures. | Heavy rain will last for several hours. |
| la chute de neige | snowfall | Une chute de neige est prévue en altitude. | Snowfall is expected at high altitude. |
| la tempête | storm / tempest | Une tempête se prépare sur la côte. | A storm is brewing on the coast. |
| le radar météo | weather radar | Le radar météo montre des orages. | The weather radar shows storms. |
Putting it Together
Here’s an example of how you might combine these words to describe a weather forecast in French:
Demain, les prévisions annoncent un ciel nuageux avec des averses intermittentes. Le vent sera modéré, soufflant du nord. La température maximale atteindra 18 degrés. Un épisode pluvieux prolongé est attendu en fin de journée. — Tomorrow, the forecasts predict a cloudy sky with intermittent showers. The wind will be moderate, blowing from the north. The maximum temperature will reach 18 degrees. A prolonged rainy spell is expected at the end of the day.
Flashcards (1 of 43)
- English Singular/Plural: forecast / forecasts
- English Example: The forecasts predict rain.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
