Tell me about the most extreme weather you've ever lived through.

A natural way to answer

The most extreme would be a heatwave a few summers ago. The temperatures were relentless for two weeks, and it felt like the whole city ground to a halt. We hunkered down with the blinds shut and barely moved during the day.

Key phrases to use

• out of nowhere — suddenly and unexpectedly, with no warning“The storm appeared out of nowhere.”
• howling — (of wind) blowing very hard and making a long, loud, mournful sound“The wind was howling through the trees all night.”
• howled — (of wind) blew very hard, making a long, loud, mournful sound“The wind howled around the house for hours.”
• hunkered down — stayed safely indoors and waited for bad conditions to pass“We hunkered down at home until the storm blew over.”
• ground to a halt — gradually stopped working or moving completely“The whole city ground to a halt in the snow.”