Weather and natural events in English, with pictures

/ˈɜːrθkweɪk/

A sudden, violent shaking of the ground that can damage buildings.

“The earthquake shook our house last night.”

/flʌd/

A large amount of water covering land that is usually dry.

“Heavy rain caused a flood in the town center.”

/ˈævəlænʃ/

A huge mass of snow and ice falling quickly down a mountain.

“The skiers escaped safely before the avalanche started.”

/ˈblɪzərd/

A very bad snowstorm with strong winds and poor visibility.

“We stayed indoors during the heavy blizzard yesterday.”

/briːz/

A gentle and pleasant light wind.

“A cool breeze felt nice on the warm beach.”

/draʊt/

A long time without enough rain, causing water shortages.

“The long drought ruined many farm crops this summer.”

/frɔːst/

A thin layer of ice on cold outdoor surfaces in freezing weather.

“There was white frost on the car windows this morning.”

/heɪl/

Small balls of hard ice that drop from the sky like rain.

“The falling hail damaged the roof of our car.”

/ˈhʌrɪkeɪn/

A very powerful ocean storm with extremely fast winds and heavy rain.

“The island prepared for the dangerous hurricane.”

/ˈlændslaɪd/

A large mass of earth and rocks sliding down a steep slope.

“A sudden landslide blocked the mountain road completely.”

/ˈlaɪt.nɪŋ/

A quick, bright flash of electricity across the dark sky during storms.

“A flash of lightning suddenly lit up the whole room.”

/ˈθʌndərstɔːrm/

Heavy rain with loud noises and bright flashes in the sky.

“A thunderstorm started late in the afternoon.”

/tɔːrˈneɪdoʊ/

A violent spinning column of air that destroys things in its path.

“The tornado destroyed several barns across the valley.”

/tsuːˈnɑːmi/

An enormous sea wave caused by an underwater disturbance.

“People moved to higher ground after the tsunami warning.”