(Unfortunately, the first time I wrote this article, I lost the file, and it has taken quite a while to get motivated to rewrite it! Sorry for the long delay!)

In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, we looked at verbs for rain, snow, clouds, and sunlight. Today, we will continue by taking a look at some verbs associated with wind and extreme weather.

Wind

Here are some verbs that describe the movement, strength, and sound of wind:

The wind was blowing hard this morning! (The basic movement verb for wind is “blow.” A breeze blows gently and a strong wind blows hard.) 

The wind blew away a couple of our lawn chairs yesterday. (When a strong wind picks something up and moves it, you can say that it “blows it away”.

Did you hear the wind howling last night? (When a strong wind makes a loud noise, you can say that it “howls.” This verb is commonly, but not exclusively, used to describe wind in the winter. The sound of wind howling may make us feel cold.

A gentle autumn breeze was whispering through the trees. (“Whisper” is the opposite of “howl” - it describes a soft, gentle sound made by the movement of the wind.)

The freezing wind was biting into our faces the whole way. (When the wind “bites,” it is so cold that it causes pain.)

The wind was gusting up to 40 mph. (When wind picks up speed and strength suddenly but briefly, it “gusts.” “Gust” is more often used as a noun to mean a brief, strong rush of wind.)

Hurricane force winds buffeted the little town all day, blowing shingles off many roofs. (When the wind “buffets” something, it hits it repeatedly and with great force.)

Extreme weather / Natural disasters

These verbs can be used with extreme weather conditions and disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis, tornados, earthquakes, and more:

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the city around 4 pm. (When natural disasters happen, they are said to “strike” or “hit” the area where they occur.)

Several tropical storms pounded the coastline throughout the month of September. (When storms and continuous extreme weather conditions strike heavily and repeatedly, they are said to “pound” the area when they occur.)

The hurricane is expected to sweep in overnight, bringing wind gusts of over 100 mph. (When a storm enters an area, it “moves in,” and when it does so quickly or with great force, it “sweeps in.”)

A tornado tore through the town last night, leaving 10 people homeless.(When extreme weather or natural disasters move with great speed and force, causing damage and destruction, they are said to “tear through/across” the area where they occur.)

Wildfires are still roaring across Western Canada. (When a storm or disaster is loud and fast-moving, it is said to “roar.”)

Torrential rains flooded the entire area. (When a lot of water enters an area or accumulates in an area due to heavy rain or a river overflowing, that area “floods.”)

Although there are many more words associated with weather conditions and natural disasters, this series of articles should provide a solid base of vocabulary for talking about this topic, so I will wrap it up here and see you in the next one!