The forecast, temperatures, storms, typhoons, earthquakes and power cuts.
Weather talk in Japanese leans on verbs where English uses "it is": rain falls (雨が降る), wind blows (風が吹く), the sky clouds over (曇る) and clears (晴れる). Typhoons and earthquakes are part of ordinary life in Japan, so their words turn up in everyday conversation and on the television news, not only in emergencies. Temperatures are in degrees Celsius, counted with 〜度.
The words
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Verb (6)
揺れるto shake; to swayVerbN4
地震で部屋が少し揺れました。The room shook a little in the earthquake.
曇るto cloud overVerbN4
午後になって、空が曇ってきました。In the afternoon the sky began to cloud over.
積もるto pile up (of snow, dust)VerbN4
一晩で雪が三十センチも積もりました。Thirty centimetres of snow built up overnight.
吹くto blowVerbN4
海から涼しい風が吹いています。A cool breeze is blowing in from the sea.
凍るto freezeVerbN4
寒くて、池の水が凍っています。It is so cold that the water in the pond has frozen.
備えるto prepare (for); to provide againstVerbN3
地震に備えて、水と食べ物を買っておきました。I bought water and food in advance, in case of an earthquake.
With に for what you prepare against.
Noun (32)
天気予報weather forecastNounN4
天気予報によると、明日は雨だそうです。According to the weather forecast, it will rain tomorrow.
予報forecastNounN4
予報では午後から晴れると言っていました。The forecast said it would clear up in the afternoon.
台風typhoonNounN4
台風で電車が止まりました。The trains stopped because of the typhoon.
Typhoons are numbered through the year: 台風五号.
地震earthquakeNounN4
夜中に小さい地震がありました。There was a small earthquake in the night.
震度seismic intensity (Japanese scale)NounN3
今朝の地震は震度三でした。This morning's earthquake was intensity three.
How strongly the ground shook at one place, on a scale from 0 to 7 (5 and 6 are each split into a lower and an upper step); not the magnitude.
曇りcloudy weatherNounN4
明日は一日中曇りでしょう。Tomorrow will be cloudy all day.
風windNounN5
今日は風が強いですね。It is windy today, isn't it?
Said like 風邪, a cold; the kanji differ.
気温air temperatureNounN4
今日は気温が高くて、汗が止まりません。The temperature is high today, and I cannot stop sweating.
The air outside; the temperature of a room or water is 温度.
最高気温highest temperature (of the day)NounN4
明日の最高気温は三十五度です。Tomorrow's high is thirty-five degrees.
最低気温lowest temperature (of the day)NounN4
今朝の最低気温は零度でした。This morning's low was zero degrees.
降水確率chance of rain (in a forecast)NounN3
明日の降水確率は八十パーセントです。There is an eighty per cent chance of rain tomorrow.
Given in tens of per cent on every forecast.
湿度humidityNounN3
日本の夏は湿度が高いです。Summers in Japan are humid.
熱中症heatstrokeNounN3
熱中症にならないように、水をたくさん飲んでください。Drink plenty of water so that you do not get heatstroke.
小雨light rain; drizzleNounN4
小雨なので、傘はなくても大丈夫です。It is only drizzling, so you will be fine without an umbrella.
夕立sudden summer shower (in the afternoon or evening)NounN3
帰りに夕立にあって、びしょ濡れになりました。I got caught in a summer downpour on the way home and was soaked through.
大雪heavy snowNounN4
大雪で道が通れなくなりました。The road became impassable because of the heavy snow.
吹雪snowstorm; blizzardNounN3
吹雪で前が何も見えませんでした。In the snowstorm I could not see anything ahead of me.
嵐stormNounN3
昨夜はひどい嵐でした。There was a terrible storm last night.
霧fog; mistNounN3
霧で前がよく見えません。I cannot see ahead properly because of the fog.
雨宿りsheltering from the rainNounN3
急に雨が降ってきたので、駅で雨宿りしました。It suddenly started to rain, so I sheltered in the station.
Also a verb: 雨宿りする.
日差しsunlight; the sun's raysNounN3
今日は日差しが強いので、帽子をかぶって出かけます。The sun is strong today, so I am going out in a hat.
気候climateNounN3
この地方は一年中気候が穏やかです。The climate in this region is mild all year round.
The pattern over years; the weather today is 天気.
洪水floodNounN3
大雨のあと、川の近くで洪水がありました。After the heavy rain there was a flood near the river.
竜巻tornadoNounN3
ニュースによると、昨日竜巻で家が壊れたそうです。According to the news, houses were damaged by a tornado yesterday.
噴火eruptionNounN3
山が噴火して、町に灰が降りました。The mountain erupted, and ash fell on the town.
Also a verb: 噴火する.
火事fire (a building on fire)NounN4
近所で火事があって、消防車が来ました。There was a fire in the neighbourhood, and the fire engines came.
A fire that is burning out of control; a fire in a stove is 火.
停電power cutNounN4
台風で三時間ぐらい停電しました。The power was out for about three hours because of the typhoon.
Also a verb: 停電する.
断水water cut; interruption of the water supplyNounN3
工事のため、明日の朝は断水します。Because of maintenance work, the water will be off tomorrow morning.
Also a verb: 断水する.
非常口emergency exitNounN4
非常口はエレベーターの横にあります。The emergency exit is next to the lift.
懐中電灯torch; flashlightNounN3
停電のときのために、懐中電灯を用意しておきます。I keep a torch ready in case of a power cut.
消防車fire engineNounN4
消防車がサイレンを鳴らして走っていきました。A fire engine went past with its siren wailing.
注意報weather advisoryNounN3
大雨の注意報が出ているので、気をつけてください。There is a heavy-rain advisory out, so please be careful.
Less serious than a warning, 警報.
na-adjective (2)
危険danger; dangerousna-adjectiveN4
台風のときに海に近づくのは危険です。It is dangerous to go near the sea during a typhoon.
More formal than 危ない; seen on signs.
安全safety; safena-adjectiveN4
地震のときは、机の下が安全です。In an earthquake, under a desk is the safe place.
