---
title: "Weather Vocabulary — Japanese N1"
description: "Essential Japanese vocabulary for weather conditions, seasons, climate, forecasts. N1 level reference with readings, romaji, and examples."
tags: ["japanese", "vocabulary", "n1", "weather"]
cascade:
type: docs
date: 2026-05-30T00:00:00+07:00
---
## Weather Vocabulary — JLPT N1
At the N1 level, weather vocabulary shifts from basic descriptions (sunny, rainy) to nuanced meteorological terms, disaster-related terminology, and sophisticated expressions used in news reports and formal writing. Mastering this set is essential for understanding weather forecasts, environmental news, and literary descriptions of nature.
## Core Vocabulary
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English | Part of Speech |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 猛暑 | <ruby>もうしょ</ruby> | mōsho | intense heat | Noun |
| 酷暑 | <ruby>こくしょ</ruby> | kokusho | extreme heat | Noun |
| 冷夏 | <ruby>れいか</ruby> | reika | cool summer | Noun |
| 暖冬 | <ruby>だんとう</ruby> | dantō | mild winter | Noun |
| 豪雨 | <ruby>ごうう</ruby> | gōu | heavy rain / downpour | Noun |
| 集中豪雨 | <ruby>しゅうちゅうごうう</ruby> | shūchū gōu | localized torrential rain | Noun |
| ゲリラ豪雨 | <ruby>ゲリラごうう</ruby> | gerira gōu | sudden localized downpour | Noun |
| 暴風 | <ruby>ぼうふう</ruby> | bōfū | windstorm | Noun |
| 暴風雨 | <ruby>ぼうふうう</ruby> | bōfūu | rainstorm | Noun |
| 台風一過 | <ruby>たいふういっか</ruby> | taifū ikka | clear weather after a typhoon | Noun |
| 突風 | <ruby>とっぷう</ruby> | toppū | gust of wind | Noun |
| 竜巻 | <ruby>たつまき</ruby> | tatsumaki | tornado | Noun |
| 霧雨 | <ruby>きりさめ</ruby> | kirisame | drizzle | Noun |
| 驟雨 | <ruby>しゅうう</ruby> | shūu | sudden shower | Noun |
| 降雨量 | <ruby>こううりょう</ruby> | kōuryō | rainfall amount | Noun |
| 積雪 | <ruby>せきせつ</ruby> | sekisetsu | snowfall / snow cover | Noun |
| 降雪量 | <ruby>こうせつりょう</ruby> | kōsetsuryō | snowfall amount | Noun |
| 吹雪 | <ruby>ふぶき</ruby> | fubuki | blizzard | Noun |
| 凍結 | <ruby>とうけつ</ruby> | tōketsu | freezing | Noun/Suru-verb |
| 霜 | <ruby>しも</ruby> | shimo | frost | Noun |
| 雹 | <ruby>ひょう</ruby> | hyō | hail | Noun |
| 結露 | <ruby>けつろ</ruby> | ketsuro | condensation | Noun/Suru-verb |
| 湿気 | <ruby>しっけ</ruby> | shikke | humidity | Noun |
| 湿度 | <ruby>しつど</ruby> | shitsudo | humidity level | Noun |
| 蒸し暑い | <ruby>むしあつい</ruby> | mushiatsui | sultry / humid | Adjective |
| 酷寒 | <ruby>こっかん</ruby> | kokkan | severe cold | Noun |
| 温暖 | <ruby>おんだん</ruby> | ondan | warm / temperate | Noun/Na-adj |
| 気候変動 | <ruby>きこうへんどう</ruby> | kikō hendō | climate change | Noun |
| 異常気象 | <ruby>いじょうきしょう</ruby> | ijō kishō | abnormal weather | Noun |
| 警報 | <ruby>けいほう</ruby> | keihō | warning / alarm | Noun |
| 注意報 | <ruby>ちゅういほう</ruby> | chūihō | advisory | Noun |
| 土砂災害 | <ruby>どしゃさいがい</ruby> | dosha saigai | landslide disaster | Noun |
| 浸水 | <ruby>しんすい</ruby> | shinsui | flooding / inundation | Noun/Suru-verb |
| 冠水 | <ruby>かんすい</ruby> | kansui | flooding (of roads) | Noun/Suru-verb |
| 避難勧告 | <ruby>ひなんかんこく</ruby> | hinan kankoku | evacuation advisory | Noun |
| 晴天 | <ruby>せいてん</ruby> | seiten | clear weather | Noun |
| 曇天 | <ruby>どんてん</ruby> | donten | cloudy weather | Noun |
| 荒天 | <ruby>こうてん</ruby> | kōten | stormy weather | Noun |
| 陽気 | <ruby>ようき</ruby> | yōki | seasonable weather / cheerfulness | Noun |
| 兆し | <ruby>きざし</ruby> | kizashi | signs / indications | Noun |
| 予報 | <ruby>よほう</ruby> | yohō | forecast | Noun/Suru-verb |
| 観測 | <ruby>かんそく</ruby> | kansoku | observation | Noun/Suru-verb |
| 停滞前線 | <ruby>ていたいぜんせん</ruby> | teitai zensen | stationary front | Noun |
| 高気圧 | <ruby>こうきあつ</ruby> | kōkiatsu | high atmospheric pressure | Noun |
| 低気圧 | <ruby>ていきあつ</ruby> | teikiatsu | low atmospheric pressure | Noun |
## Key Phrases
1. **台風が接近しております。** | <ruby>たいふう</ruby>が<ruby>せっきん</ruby>しております。 (Taifū ga sekkin shite orimasu.) | A typhoon is approaching.
2. **記録的な猛暑が続いています。** | <ruby>きろくてき</ruby>な<ruby>もうしょ</ruby>が<ruby>つづ</ruby>いています。 (Kirokuteki na mōsho ga tsuzuite imasu.) | Record-breaking intense heat continues.
3. **土砂災害に厳重に警戒してください。** | <ruby>どしゃさいがい</ruby>に<ruby>げんじゅう</ruby>に<ruby>けいかい</ruby>してください。 (Dosha saigai ni genjū ni keikai shite kudasai.) | Please be strictly vigilant against landslides.
4. **大気の状態が非常に不安定です。** | <ruby>たいき</ruby>の<ruby>じょうたい</ruby>が<ruby>ひじょう</ruby>に<ruby>ふあんてい</ruby>です。 (Taiki no jōtai ga hijō ni fuantei desu.) | Atmospheric conditions are very unstable.
5. **線状降水帯が発生する恐れがあります。** | <ruby>せんじょうこうすいたい</ruby>が<ruby>はっせい</ruby>する<ruby>おそれ</ruby>があります。 (Senjō kōsuitai ga hassei suru osore ga arimasu.) | There is a risk of a linear precipitation zone forming.
6. **明日は天候が回復する見込みです。** | <ruby>あした</ruby>は<ruby>てんこう</ruby>が<ruby>かいふく</ruby>する<ruby>みこみ</ruby>です。 (Ashita wa tenkō ga kaifuku suru mikomi desu.) | The weather is expected to recover tomorrow.
7. **急な天候の変化にご注意ください。** | <ruby>きゅう</ruby>な<ruby>てんこう</ruby>の<ruby>へんか</ruby>にご<ruby>ちゅうい</ruby>ください。 (Kyū na tenkō no henka ni gochūi kudasai.) | Please be careful of sudden weather changes.
8. **湿度が低く、過ごしやすい陽気です。** | <ruby>しつど</ruby>が<ruby>ひく</ruby>く、<ruby>すご</ruby>しやすい<ruby>ようき</ruby>です。 (Shitsudo ga hikuku, sugoshiyasui yōki desu.) | The humidity is low, and the weather is comfortable.
9. **路面の凍結に十分注意してください。** | <ruby>ろめん</ruby>の<ruby>とうけつ</ruby>に<ruby>じゅうぶん</ruby>ちゅういしてください。 (Romen no tōketsu ni jūbun chūi shite kudasai.) | Please be very careful of frozen road surfaces.
10. **季節の変わり目ですので、ご自愛ください。** | <ruby>きせつ</ruby>の<ruby>かわりめ</ruby>ですので、ごじあいください。 (Kisetsu no kawarime desu node, gojiai kudasai.) | It is the change of seasons, so please take care of yourself.
## Practice Dialogue
**A:** 今年の夏は本当に異常気象だね。毎日猛暑が続いていて。
(<ruby>ことし</ruby>の<ruby>なつ</ruby>は<ruby>ほんとう</ruby>に<ruby>いじょうきしょう</ruby>だね。<ruby>まいにち</ruby><ruby>もうしょ</ruby>が<ruby>つづ</ruby>いていて。)
*Kotoshi no natsu wa hontō ni ijō kishō da ne. Mainichi mōsho ga tsuzuite ite.*
(This summer is truly abnormal weather. The intense heat continues every day.)
**B:** 本当に。それに、急なゲリラ豪雨も多いから困るよ。
(<ruby>ほんとう</ruby>に。それに、<ruby>きゅう</ruby>なゲリラ<ruby>ごうう</ruby>も<ruby>おお</ruby>いから<ruby>こま</ruby>るよ。)
*Hontō ni. Sore ni, kyū na gerira gōu mo ōi kara komaru yo.*
(Truly. Besides, the sudden localized downpours are frequent, which is troublesome.)
**A:** さっきも大気の状態が不安定だってニュースで言ってたよ。
(<ruby>さっき</ruby>も<ruby>たいき</ruby>の<ruby>じょうたい</ruby>が<ruby>ふあんてい</ruby>だってニュースで<ruby>い</ruby>ってたよ。)
*Sakki mo taiki no jōtai ga fuantei datte nyūsu de itteta yo.*
(The news just said that atmospheric conditions are unstable, too.)
**B:** 線状降水帯が発生する恐れもあるみたいだし、心配だね。
(<ruby>せんじょうこうすいたい</ruby>が<ruby>はっせい</ruby>する<ruby>おそれ</ruby>もあるみたいだし、<ruby>しんぱい</ruby>だね。)
*Senjō kōsuitai ga hassei suru osore mo aru mitai dashi, shinpai da ne.*
(It seems there's a risk of a linear precipitation zone forming, too; it's worrying.)
**A:** 本当に。土砂災害とか浸水には十分警戒しないとね。
(<ruby>ほんとう</ruby>に。<ruby>どしゃさいがい</ruby>とか<ruby>しんすい</ruby>には<ruby>じゅうぶん</ruby>けいかいしないとね。)
*Hontō ni. Dosha saigai toka shinsui ni wa jūbun keikai shinai to ne.*
(Indeed. We must be fully vigilant against landslides and flooding.)
## Self-Study Tips
1. **Watch NHK News:** Watch the *News 7* weather segment (気象情報 - *kishō jōhō*). They use formal, high-level vocabulary consistently. Try to transcribe the weather map descriptions.
2. **Contextualize with Disaster Prevention:** Many N1 words are used in official government alerts. Visit the [Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)](https://www.jma.go.jp/) website and read the "Warning/Advisory" sections to see these words in their natural, formal context.
3. **Use Flashcards for Kanji Compounds:** Words like 豪雨, 猛暑, and 凍結 are often parts of larger compound phrases. Use Anki to drill the kanji, but focus on the *collocations* (e.g., 記録的な猛暑 - *kirokuteki na mōsho*).
4. **Seasonal Diary:** Write 2-3 sentences every day describing the weather using at least one N1-level term (e.g., "Today the humidity is high, making it a very *mushiatsui* day").