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Talking about hot weather

Episode 260612 / 12 Jun 2026

(Photo: Getty)

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Introduction

Phil and Becca have a real conversation in easy English about hot weather – when the sun is shining and the temperature is high. Learn to talk about heatwaves, air conditioning and how to make the most of those hot summer days.

Vocabulary

heatwave
period of time when the weather is hotter than normal for that time of year

make the most of (something)
enjoy something as much as you can

cool down / cool off
feel less hot

air conditioning / air con / AC
method of making the air cooler in an enclosed space

air conditioner
machine that makes the air cooler

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Transcript

Phil
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English from BBC Learning English. Each week we have a real conversation in easy English to help you learn. I'm Phil.
 
Becca
And I'm Becca. You can find a video version of this podcast on our website, along with a free worksheet, subtitles and a transcript. That's at bbclearningenglish.com.
 
Phil
So, how are things, Becca?
 
Becca
Yeah, things are going really well, thank you, Phil. We've just had a really lovely weekend. It's very sunny, very nice. How are things for you?
 
Phil
Well, they're very good. As you said, it was a very sunny weekend and, yeah, I love the sunshine. I love it when the weather is a bit warmer. And that's what we're going to be talking about today. We're going to be talking about hot weather and what you do to stay cool.
 
Becca
Yeah, I love hot weather. I'm very excited for summer to come here soon. I really enjoy eating ice cream when it is very hot. That helps me to stay cool.
 
Phil
Yeah. Are there any other things? Are there any activities that you do when the weather's hot?
 
Becca
You mean apart from eating ice cream...?
 
Phil
Apart from eating ice cream, yeah!
 
Becca
I really don't like being hot when I'm in the city because I feel like the heat, kind of, stays and it's very difficult to find, like, a swimming pool or... I love to go to the beach. I think being in water can really help you cool down. How about yourself?
 
Phil
When it's really hot, when we get a heatwave, which is when you get a few days and it's a long way above normal temperatures, then I like to put a paddling pool in the back garden, which is like a little swimming pool, and you just fill it with water and then jump in.
 
Becca
Yeah, water can really help you cool off or cool down to become cold. So, how do you make the most of hot weather then? Because you mentioned we don't have many days of very hot weather here in the UK.
 
Phil
I spend a lot more time outside than I do during the winter, for example. If we've got nice warm weather and it's not raining, it's nice to be outside just to sit, spend some time reading, whatever... cooking outside, having a barbecue.
 
Becca
Yeah.
 
Phil
Eating outside – you can sit in the garden and eat dinner outside. All of those things you can do in the summer when it's warm and, of course, when it's not raining.
 
Becca
But that sounds lovely – really making the most of those long, hot days. Yeah. So, to make the most of something is to do as much as you can within the time or the space that you're in.
 
Phil
If it's a very hot day, do you prefer to be outside in the sun or to be inside near a fan, or near the air conditioner?
 
Becca
Ah OK. Yeah. Yeah, I prefer to be outside. I remember going on holiday with my friends, and they wanted to stay inside shopping centres where there was an air con, an AC, but I wanted to be out and walking. Although it's very important that if you are outside when it's very hot, that you drink water and you find places where you can cool down.
 
Phil
It depends as well on the country as well, I guess, because in England the summers are never very, very hot, but in other parts of the world, I guess it can probably be quite dangerous.
 
Becca
Yes. Yeah. And also adding on to that, because it isn't very hot often in the UK, in England, we aren't very well prepared for the heat. So, yeah, if you do come and visit the UK, just know that on a very, very hot day, it could be quite difficult to find an area that does have a fan or air conditioning.
 
Phil
OK. Let's recap the vocabulary that we heard during the conversation, starting with heatwave. Now, a heatwave is a period of time with very hot weather.
 
Becca
If you make the most of something, you enjoy it as much as you can. For example, I make the most of hot days by going outside for walks and getting an ice cream.
 
Phil
We also heard cool down, which means to feel less hot. So, for example, when it's really hot, I like to cool down by jumping in a paddling pool. And we can also say cool off, which means the same in this context.
 
Becca
And we had air conditioning. That is a machine that helps the space that you're in – so it could be your house or your work office – it helps that space feel less hot. It helps it feel colder. You might hear it shortened to air con or AC.
 
Phil
That's it for this episode of Real Easy English. Try the worksheet on our website to test what you've learned. And that's at bbclearningenglish.com.
 
Becca
And we'll see you next week with another real conversation in easy English. But for now, it's goodbye!
 
Phil
Bye!

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