IELTS Speaking Practice Set: Weather Topic

Quite varied throughout the year. Summers are warm and humid, often reaching 30°C, while winters can be chilly and sometimes drop below freezing. We get a fair amount of rain in spring and autumn, which keeps the countryside lush and green.

Useful language:warm and humiddrop below freezinglush and green

I prefer mild, sunny weather, but if I have to choose, cold. You can always put on more layers, but there’s not much you can do in extreme heat.

Useful language:put on more layers

Almost every morning, especially before deciding whether to cycle to work or take the bus.

Useful language:almost every morning

I think so. Summers seem hotter and longer, and we have more sudden heavy rainstorms that cause flooding.

Useful language:sudden heavy rainstorms

Definitely. People seem happier and more sociable on sunny days, while long grey winters can make many people feel low.

Useful language:feel low

Spring, because everything comes back to life — the trees blossom, days get longer and it’s warm enough to sit outside again.

Useful language:comes back to life

I check warnings, keep some water and a torch at home, and avoid travelling during storms or heatwaves if I can.

Useful language:warnings

Mostly, yes. A walk in light rain can be quite refreshing, but I avoid going out in storms or extreme heat.

Useful language:refreshing

I’d like to talk about a severe thunderstorm that hit my city last summer.

It happened on a sweltering July evening while I was in the city centre with two friends. The day had been unusually hot and humid, and there was a strange tension in the air. Suddenly the sky turned an ominous dark green, and within minutes we were in the middle of the most intense storm I’ve ever seen.

The impact was immediate and dramatic. Streets flooded within about twenty minutes, and the wind was so strong that it uprooted several trees and blew café chairs across the square. Lightning struck again and again, lighting up the whole sky. We were caught completely off guard and ran into a nearby shopping centre for shelter, along with dozens of other people. The power went out in several neighbourhoods, and the buses stopped running, so it took me three hours to get home.

This event was memorable because it was both terrifying and awe-inspiring. It reminded me of nature’s raw power and how quickly conditions can change. I was also impressed by how people reacted: strangers shared umbrellas, shopkeepers let people wait inside, and the next morning neighbours helped clear fallen branches and checked on elderly residents.

Since then I take weather warnings much more seriously, and it made me realise how important it is for cities to be prepared for extreme weather, which is likely to become more common.

Useful language:swelteringominousuprootedcaught completely off guardawe-inspiringnature’s raw power

Climate change will probably bring more frequent and intense extreme events — heatwaves, droughts and severe storms. Rainfall patterns may shift, causing water shortages in some regions and flooding in others, while coastal areas face rising seas and stronger hurricanes. These changes will disrupt farming and settlements, so we need both to cut emissions and to adapt.

Useful language:extreme eventsrainfall patternsadapt

Weather affects agriculture most directly — droughts or floods can destroy harvests and raise food prices. It also influences tourism, energy demand for heating and cooling, and construction and transport, which can be delayed by storms.

Useful language:raise food pricesenergy demand

We can already influence it slightly, for example through cloud seeding to increase rain. But fully controlling weather seems unlikely, and it could be dangerous: changing rainfall in one region might cause drought in another, leading to conflicts between countries.

Useful language:cloud seedingconflicts between countries

Satellites, radar and powerful computer models make forecasts far more accurate, giving people days of warning before hurricanes or floods. Mobile alerts can warn millions of people instantly, which saves lives.

Useful language:computer modelsmobile alerts

Not really. Talking about the weather is an easy, neutral way to start a conversation, especially with strangers, and it does affect our daily plans, so it’s natural to discuss it.

Useful language:neutralstart a conversation

Through architecture, clothing and daily routines. Hot countries often have thick walls, shaded streets and afternoon rest periods, while cold countries have well-insulated homes and winter sports traditions.

Useful language:shaded streetswell-insulated

Governments should invest in early warning systems, flood defences and heat-resistant infrastructure, plan emergency responses and help vulnerable people. Long-term, they also need to reduce emissions to limit future extremes.

Useful language:early warning systemsflood defencesvulnerable people