Weather is a universal topic of conversation, especially in these challenging times where extreme heat waves, thunderstorms and drought have become more frequent than ever.
And even if we Italians would often rather talk about food or sports, we enjoy a little bit of weather chit chat once in a while.
So if you’re sipping a coffee at a terrazza table in a beautiful square and you’re wondering how to talk about the weather with the nice Italian sitting next to you, well, come rain or come shine we’ll help you!
Let’s discuss everything under the sun about weather expressions in Italian, and we’ll make you a weather expert in Dante’s language, lightning fast!
How do you say “weather” in Italian
The answer to the question “How to say “the weather” in Italian” might be a bit confusing and it actually proves the point that in Italian context is almost always key.
The translation of “weather” in italian is, in fact, “tempo”, which also literally translates as “time”. So how do you know when Italians are talking about the time or the weather? As previously mentioned, context. Don’t worry, it’s not at all as hard as it looks and you’ll learn everything in a breeze!
How to talk about the weather in Italian
Talking about the weather is a great way to break the ice and to start a light chat with someone you don’t know, but it might also be extremely important while, let’s say, you’re hiking in the Alps or planning a boat trip.
Here you have a few sentences to discuss the weather in Italian:
Che tempo fa?
Translation: What is the weather like?
Fa caldo / freddo?
Translation: Is it hot / cold?
È una bellissima giornata.
Translation: It’s a beautiful (meaning sunny) day.
Fa caldo ma c’è un po’ di vento.
Translation: It’s hot but with a bit of wind.
Piove e fa freddo.
Translation: It’s raining and it’s cold.
Ci sono 30 gradi.
Translation: It’s 30 degrees (Celsius, not Fahrenheit!)
Come sono le previsioni del tempo?
Translation: What does the weather forecast say?
Ci sarà il sole fino alle 8, poi pioverà.
Translation: It’ll be sunny until 8, then it’ll rain.
Come sarà la temperatura domani?
Translation: What will the temperature be tomorrow?
List of weather terms in Italian
Now, before you…storm out to try the above sentences with your Italian friends, family and neighbors, let’s see a few more terms that will be useful in your everyday life or even in more extreme circumstances.
Everyday weather terms in Italian
Let’s start with the most common weather words in Italian. You’ll also find a few examples of use just below the table.
| English | Italian | IPA | Pronunciation |
| Sun | Sole | sole | Soh-leh |
| Sunny | Soleggiato | soled'ʤato | Soh-leh-jah-toh |
| Cloud | Nuvola | 'nuvola | Noo-voh-lah |
| Cloudy | Nuvoloso | nuvoˈloso | Noo-voh-loh-zoh |
| Rain | Pioggia | 'pjɔdʤa | Pee-oh-jah |
| Rainy | Piovoso | pjoˈvozo | Pee-oh-voh-zoh |
| Raining | Piovere | ˈpjɔvere | Pee-oh-veh-reh |
| Snow | Neve | 'neve | Neh-veh |
| Snowing | Nevicare | nevi'kare | Neh-vee-ka-reh |
| Hail | Grandine | ˈgrandine | Grah-ndee-neh |
| Hailing | Grandinare | grandiˈnare | Grah-ndee-nah-reh |
| Sleet | Nevischio | neˈvi.skjo | Neh-vee-skee-oh |
| Ice | Ghiaccio | ˈɡjat.t͡ʃo | Gee-ah-choh |
| Wind | Vento | ˈvento | Ven-toh |
| Windy | Ventoso | benˈtosʊ | Ven-toh-zoh |
| Overcast | Coperto | koˈpɛr.to | Koh-per-toh |
| Fog | Nebbia | ˈneb.bja | Neh-bee-ah |
| Storm | Temporale | tem.poˈra.le | Tem-poh-rah-leh |
Examples:
Domani sarà una giornata soleggiata sul Nord Italia, con rischio di pioggia al Sud.
Translation: Tomorrow will be a sunny day in Northern Italy, with a risk of rain in the South.
Ieri il tempo era nuvoloso e durante la notte c’è stato un temporale.
Translation: Yesterday the weather was cloudy and during the night there was a storm.
Pensi che pioverà?
Translation: Do you think it will rain?
Extreme weather terms in Italian
What about when the weather becomes more extreme or even dangerous? Better be prepared.
| English | Italian | IPA | Pronunciation |
| Hurricane | Uragano | uraˈɡano | Oo-rah-gah-noh |
| Cyclone | Ciclone | t͡ʃiˈklo.ne | Chi-kloh-neh |
| Cold front | Fronte freddo | ˈfron.te ˈfred.do | Fron-teh freh-doh |
| Heatwave | Ondata di caldo | onˈda.ta di ˈkal.do | Oh-ndah-tah dee kal-doh |
| Flood | Alluvione | al.luˈvjo.ne | Ah-loo-vee-oh-neh |
| Typhoon | Tifone | tiˈfone | Tee-phoh-neh |
| Thunderstorm | Tempesta | temˈpɛ.sta | Tem-peh-stah |
| Tornado | Tornado | torˈna.do | Tor-nah-doh |
| Downpour | Nubifragio | nu.biˈfra.d͡ʒo | Noo-bee-frah-joh |
| Thunder | Tuono | ˈtwɔ.no | Twoh-noh |
| Lightning | Fulmine | ˈful.mi.ne | Fool-mee-neh |
| Whiteout | Bufera | buˈfɛ.ra | Boo-feh-rah |
| Frost | Gelo | ˈd͡ʒɛ.lo | Jeh-loh |
| Drought | Siccità | sit.t͡ʃiˈta | See-chee-tah |
Examples:
L’aereo è decollato in ritardo a causa di una bufera.
Translation: The plane took off late due to a whiteout.
La lunga ondata di caldo ha provocato una grave siccità.
Translation: The long heatwave has caused a severe drought.
Nel 1966 Firenze è stata colpita da un’alluvione.
Translation: In 1966 Florence was hit by a flood.
Talking about the temperature in Italian
Now, let’s see how to say the temperature in Italian and in general how to comment on it.
| English | Italian | IPA | Pronunciation |
| It’s hot | Fa caldo | ˈfa ˈkal.do | Phah kal-doh |
| It’s cold | Fa freddo | ˈfa ˈfred.do | Phah freh-doh |
| It’s wet outside | È tutto bagnato fuori | ˈɛ ˈtut.to baɲˈɲa.to ˈfwɔ.ri | Eh Too-toh bah-gnah-toh fwo-ree |
| It’s a nice outside | Si sta bene fuori | si ˈsta ˈbɛ.ne ˈfwɔ.ri | See stah beh-neh fwo-ree |
| It’s humid | È umido | ˈɛ ˈu.mi.do | Eh oo-mee-doh |
| It’s dry | È asciutto | ˈɛ aʃˈʃut.to | Eh ah-shoo-toh |
| It’s x degrees | Ci sono X gradi | t͡ʃi ˈso.no X ˈɡra.di | Chi soh-noh X grah-dee |
| Celsius | Celsius | ˈt͡ʃɛlsjus | Chel-see-oos |
| Fahrenheit | Fahrenheit | fɑːɹənˈhaɪt | (Fahrenheit) |
| It’s freezing | Si gela | si ˈd͡ʒɛ.la | See jeh-lah |
| It’s very hot | Fa molto caldo | ˈfa ˈkal.do | Phah kal-doh |
| Stuffiness | Afa | ˈa.fa | Ah-fah |
| Muggy | Afoso | aˈfo.zo | Ah-foh-zoh |
| Room temperature | Temperatura ambiente | tem.pe.raˈtu.ra amˈbjɛn.te | Tem-peh-rah-too-rah am-bee-en-teh |
Examples:
Quando fa così caldo, è meglio stare a casa.
Translate: When it’s this hot, it’s better to stay at home.
A Bologna luglio è spesso molto afoso.
Translate: July is often very muggy in Bologna.
Fa freddo in questa stanza, accendi il termosifone?
Translate: It’s cold in this room, could you turn on the heater?
Other important weather terms in Italian
Before we take a rain check, why don’t we throw in a few other useful Italian weather terms?
| English | Italian | IPA | Pronunciation |
| Weather forecast | Previsioni del tempo | pre.viˈzjo.ni dɛːl ˈtɛm.po | Pre-vee-zioh-nee del tem-poh |
| Meteorology | Meteorologia | meteoroˈlɔdʒia | Meh-teh-oh-roh-loh-jah |
| Bad weather | Brutto tempo | ˈbrut.to ˈtɛm.po | Broo-toh tem-poh |
| Good weather | Bel tempo | bɛl ˈtɛm.po | Bel tem-poh |
| Extreme weather event | Evento meteo estremo | eˈvɛn.to meteo eˈstrɛ.mo | Eh-ven-toh meh-teh-oh est-reh-moh |
| Climate change | Cambiamento climatico | kam.bjaˈmen.to kliˈma.ti.ko | Kam-bee-am-en-toh klee-mah-tee-koh |
| Global warming | Riscaldamento globale | ri.skal.daˈmen.to ɡloˈba.le | Rees-kal-dah-men-toh glo-bah-leh |
| Sea surface temperature | Temperatura della superficie marina | tem.pe.raˈtu.ra dɛːlla su.perˈfi.t͡ʃe maˈri.na | Tem-peh-rah-too-rah deh-lah soo-per-fee-cheh mah-ree-nah |
| Extreme weather warning | Allerta meteo | alˈlɛr.ta meteo | Al-er-tah meh-teh-oh |
| Squall | Acquazzone | ak.kwatˈt͡so.ne | Ah-qua-tzoh-neh |
| Shower | Rovescio | roˈvɛʃ.ʃo | Ro-veh-shoh |
| Light rain | Quattro gocce (informal) | ˈkwat.tro ˈɡot.t͡ʃe | Kwa-troh go-chah |
| Gust | Raffica | ˈraf.fi.ka | Ra-fee-kah |
| Precipitation | Precipitazione | pre.t͡ʃi.pi.tatˈt͡sjo.ne | Preh-chee-pee-tah-zioh-neh |
| Atmospheric pressure | Pressione atmosferica | presˈsjo.ne at.moˈsfɛ.ri.ka | Preh-sioh-neh ah-tmos-feh-ree-kah |
| Trough | Depressione | de.presˈsjo.ne | Deh-preh-sio-neh |
| Warm front | Fronte caldo | ˈfron.te ˈkal.do | Fron-teh kal-doh |
| Wind direction | Direzione del vento | di.retˈt͡sjo.ne del ˈvɛn.to | Dee-re-zio-neh del ven-toh |
| Rainbow | Arcobaleno | ar.ko.baˈle.no | Ar-koh-bah-leh-noh |
| Blizzard | Tormenta | tor.menˈta | Tor-men-tah |
| African anticyclone | Anticiclone africano | an.ti.t͡ʃiˈklo.ne a.friˈka.no | Anti-chee-kloh-neh afri-ka-noh |
| Azores anticyclone | Anticiclone delle Azzorre | an.ti.t͡ʃiˈklo.ne delle adˈd͡zɔr.re | Anti-chee-kloh-neh del-eh Ah-tzoh-reh |
| Sirocco | Scirocco | ʃiˈrɔk.ko | Shee-roh-koh |
| North wind | Tramontana | tra.monˈta.na | Trah-mon-tah-nah |
| Bora | Bora (a very strong wind that blows in Trieste) | ˈbɔ.ra | Boh-rah |
Examples:
Domani a Trieste la Bora soffierà a 120 chilometri orari.
Translation: In Trieste, the Bora will blow at 120 kilometers per hour tomorrow.
L’anticiclone delle Azzorre porta pioggia sull’Italia.
Translation: The Azores anticyclone brings rain over Italy.
Il riscaldamento globale causa una diminuzione delle precipitazioni.
Translation: Global warming is causing a decrease in precipitation.
Weather-related expressions in Italian
As you’ve probably noticed while reading this blog post, weather has generated an abundance of expressions in the English language. Well, that’s true for Italian also.
Some examples:
Come una tempesta in un bicchiere
- Translation: Like a storm in a glass.
- Meaning: A small trivial event that has been exaggerated out of proportion. In English you say “teacup”, but Italians love wine more than tea so…
Non ci piove
- Translation: It doesn’t rain on it.
- Meaning: It’s a weird expression to say that something is certain beyond any doubt.
Piove sempre sul bagnato
- Translation: It always rain where it’s already wet.
- Meaning: When something good or bad keeps on happening to someone who’s already very lucky or unlucky. For example, if someone who’s already rich is becoming even richer.
Come un fulmine a ciel sereno
- Translation: Like a lightning when the sky is clear
- Meaning: When something happens completely unexpectedly.
Essere al settimo cielo
- Translation: Being at seventh heaven
- Meaning: Like being on cloud nine, only that it’s heaven…and it’s seventh.
Whatever the weather, enjoy Italy and learning Italian!
Now that you know all the most important weather terms and expressions in Italian, let’s share a truth: when you walk along a beautiful calle in Venice, visit a 2000-years old archaeological site in Rome or explore the endless collection of world-famous art of the Uffizi museum in Florence, it doesn’t matter if it’s sunny or cloudy. You’ll enjoy every minute. Especially if you’re learning Italian and looking for the most immersive practice experience!
Nevertheless, we think you should keep a couple of recommendations in mind:
- Do not underestimate heatwaves: an heatwave can cause the temperatures to rocket over 100-105°F in many inland areas such as Milan, Bologna, Florence, Turin, Rome, Perugia and in the South. If you’re traveling to Italy in the summer, it’s best to book your visits in the early morning and keep the central hours of the day free in case it’s simply too hot to leave the hotel.
- Beware of extreme weather warnings: when the Italian authorities foresee a risk of flood or another extreme event, they will close the schools and issue a “red warning” usually lasting from a few hours to a couple of days. In this case, it’s better to be cautious and follow the authorities recommendations.
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