Weather words en Francais

A more-or-less comprehensive list of French weather terminology, as published originally in PBO 416 (August 2001) in the form of a letter from a bilingual PBO reader based in New York City (Merci Jean Somerhausen)

Abondante (pluie) – Heavy (rain)

Agitée (mer) – Rough (sea)

Anticyclone – High

Augmentant – Increasing

Averse – Shower

Avis de coup de vent – Gale warning

Brouillard – Fog

Banc de brouillard – Fog bank

Bon – Good

Brise – Breeze

Bruine – Drizzle

Brume – Haze

Brume légère – Mist

Calme – Calm

Coup de Vent – Gale (Force 8)

Couvert – Overcast

Créte – Ridge

Creux barométrique – Trough

Diminuant – Decreasing

Dépression – Low, Depression

Eclairs – Lightning

En baisse – Falling

En hausse – Rising

Ensoleillé – Sunny

Eparses – Scattered

Est – East

Etendu – Extensive

Frais – Fresh

Fort – Heavy, strong

Front chaud – Warm front

Front froid – Cold Front

Front occlus – Occluded front

Grand Frais – Near gale (Force 7)

Grain – Squall

Grêle – Hail

Houle – Swell

Isobare – Isobar

Isolé – Isolated

Mauvais – Bad, poor

Mer –  Sea

Modéré – Moderate

Nord – North

Nuage – Cloud

Nuageux – Cloudy

Orage – Thunderstorm

Ouest – West

Peu – Slight, slightly


Pluie – Rain

Pression – Pressure

Prévision météo – Weather forecast

Profond – Deep

Rafale – Gust


Se comblant – Filling

Se creusant –  Deepening

Se déplaéant – Moving

Se modérant –  Moderating

Se renforéant – Strengthening

Solei – Sun

Sud – South

Tempête – Storm

Temps – Weather

Thalweg – Trough

Tonnerre – Thunder

Variable – Variable

Vent – Wind

Virant – Shifting

Zone – Area