The cue card
Describe a time when bad weather affected your plans.
You should say:
- when it happened
- what you had planned to do
- what the weather was like
and explain how you dealt with the situation.
You have one minute to make notes, then speak for one to two minutes.
Band 8–9 sample answer
Written by Abroadway as a model of natural, high-band speaking (not an official IELTS sample).
I'd like to tell you about something that happened in January last year, when I was visiting my cousin, who's studying engineering in Istanbul.
I'd been there for about a week, and we'd saved what I expected to be the highlight for my last full day. The plan was to take an early ferry up the Bosphorus to a little fishing village near the Black Sea, have grilled fish for lunch, and then walk up to an old castle ruin to watch the sunset over the water. I'd been looking forward to it for months.
Unfortunately, the night before, the weather took a dramatic turn. A cold front swept in from the north, and by morning the city was buried under a thick layer of snow. Coming from Bangladesh, I'd only ever seen snow in films, so for the first few minutes I was absolutely thrilled. But it soon became clear that this wasn't a gentle, picturesque snowfall. The wind was so strong that it was blowing the snow sideways, the roads were gridlocked, and when we checked online, all the ferries had been cancelled.
As for how we dealt with it, I'll admit I was pretty disappointed at first, and I sulked for a while. But my cousin, who's far more easy-going than I am, pointed out that I was experiencing something most people back home never would. So we wrapped up in every layer we had and walked to a small neighbourhood cafe, where the owner served us lentil soup and strong tea and chatted to us for ages. In the afternoon, we built a rather lopsided snowman in a nearby park with some local children. Looking back, that unplanned day turned out to be one of my favourite memories of the whole trip, and it taught me not to cling too tightly to my plans.
Useful phrases from this answer
- took a dramatic turn
- suddenly changed a lot, usually for the worse
- the roads were gridlocked
- the traffic was so heavy that nothing could move
- wrapped up
- put on lots of warm clothes
- for ages
- for a very long time
- cling too tightly to
- refuse to let go of or change something
- keep an umbrella handy
- keep an umbrella close by so it is ready to use
- a matter of fairness
- a question of what is right and just
- getting lost in bureaucracy
- being wasted or delayed by slow official procedures
Part 3 follow-up questions and answers
How does the weather affect people's daily lives in your country?
Enormously, I'd say. In Bangladesh, the monsoon shapes almost everything from around June to September. Heavy rain can flood the streets of Dhaka within an hour, so people get stuck in traffic for ages, and rickshaw pullers sometimes charge double to wade through the water. For farmers, the weather is even more crucial, because their whole income depends on the timing of the rains. Summer heat is another challenge; many people work outdoors, and the combination of heat and humidity can be exhausting. In winter, on the other hand, the weather is pleasant and dry, so it's the season for weddings, picnics and outdoor festivals.
Do you think weather forecasts are reliable?
Generally, I think they're much more reliable than they used to be, at least for the next day or two. Thanks to satellites and better computer models, forecasters can now predict things like heavy rain or approaching cyclones with reasonable accuracy, which has saved a lot of lives. However, forecasts for a week or more ahead are still quite uncertain, because the atmosphere is so complex. Local conditions can also be hard to predict; a forecast might say it'll rain in Dhaka, but one neighbourhood gets drenched while another stays completely dry. So I'd say forecasts are useful as a guide, but it's wise to keep an umbrella handy anyway.
Why is extreme weather becoming more common in many parts of the world?
The main explanation, as far as I understand it, is climate change caused by human activity. As the planet warms, the atmosphere can hold more moisture, which tends to produce heavier rainfall, and warmer oceans can fuel more intense storms. Heatwaves also seem to be getting longer and more severe in many places. On top of that, human choices on the ground can make the impact worse; cutting down forests, filling in wetlands and building on floodplains means that when extreme weather does strike, the damage is greater. So I'd argue it's partly that the weather itself is changing and partly that we've made ourselves more vulnerable to it.
How can countries prepare for natural disasters such as floods and cyclones?
I think preparation involves both physical infrastructure and community organisation. On the physical side, countries can build embankments, cyclone shelters and better drainage systems, and protect natural barriers like mangrove forests, which reduce the force of storm surges. But early warning systems are just as important. Bangladesh is often mentioned as an example here, because combining warnings with trained local volunteers who help people evacuate has made a real difference over the years. Beyond that, governments need emergency food supplies, clear evacuation plans and support to help people rebuild quickly afterwards, so that a single disaster doesn't push families into long-term poverty.
Should richer countries help poorer countries cope with the effects of climate change?
Yes, I strongly believe they should, and I'd argue it's a matter of fairness rather than charity. Wealthy industrialised nations have produced a large share of the greenhouse gases that are driving climate change, whereas many poorer countries have contributed very little but are suffering some of the worst consequences. So it seems only right that richer countries should help pay for things like flood defences, drought-resistant crops and relocating vulnerable communities. That said, the help needs to be well managed so that it reaches the people who really need it, rather than getting lost in bureaucracy. Sharing technology and expertise could be just as valuable as money.
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