French Weather Vocabulary List – La Météo
If there’s one topic that always comes up in conversation, no matter where you are in the world, it’s the weather. From chatting with a cashier to making small talk with new friends, knowing how to describe the sun, rain, or chilly breeze can make everyday French interactions much easier.
In this list, you’ll find all the essential vocabulary you need to talk about la météo: words for sunshine, storms, forecasts, and even those everyday items like umbrellas and sunglasses. Whether you’re traveling in France or just practicing small talk, these expressions will help you sound more natural and confident.
You can download a free PDF of this list and much more in my private French Grammar Library.
| le temps | the weather |
| Quel temps fait-il? | What’s the weather like? |
| froid | cold |
| chaud | hot |
| humide | humid |
| frais | cool |
| geler | to freeze |
| la pluie | the rain |
| pleuvoir | to rain |
| la bruine | a drizzle |
| le temps est pluvieux | the weather’s rainy |
| un nuage | a cloud |
| nuageux | cloudy |
| le soleil | the sun |
| ensoleillé | sunny |
| une canicule | a heat wave |
| un orage | a thunderstorm |
| une tempête | a storm |
| le vent | the wind |
| il y a du vent | it’s windy |
| la neige | the snow |
| il neige | it’s snowing |
| un parapluie | an umbrella |
| une capuche | a hood |
| un imperméable | a raincoat |
| mouillé(e) | wet |
| se couvrir | to bundle up |
| un vêtement | an item of clothing |
| vérifier la météo | to check the weather |
| une carte | a map |
| la date | the date |
| une prévision | a forecast |
| les précipitations | rainfall |
| la crème solaire | sunscreen |
| un index | an index |
| les UV | UV rays |
| les lunettes de soleil | sunglasses |
| un météorologue | a weatherman |
| une saison | a season |
| un thermomètre | a thermometer |
| un degré | a degree |
| la température maximale | the high temperature |
| le chauffage | the heat |
| la climatisation | the air conditioning |
| un ventilateur | a fan |
| se rafraîchir | to cool yourself off |
| se réchauffer | to warm yourself up |
| bronzer | to tan |
| le ciel | the sky |
| un ouragan | a hurricane |
| la sècheresse | the drought |
| la fonte des neiges | melting of the snow |
| une inondation | a flood |
| un feu de forêt | a forest fire |
| une tornade | a tornado |
| il fait doux | the temperature is mild |
| une vague | a wave |
| la houle | the ocean swell |
| une déferlante | a breaking wave |
| calme | calm |
