IELTS Speaking – a time when the weather changed your plans

Hanoi has four fairly distinct seasons, which surprises some people. Summers are hot and humid, often over thirty-five degrees, with heavy thunderstorms. Winters, on the other hand, can be surprisingly chilly and damp. The best times of year are definitely spring and autumn, when it's mild and pleasant, and the air is a bit cleaner.

I love autumn in Hanoi. The weather is cool and dry, and there's a gentle breeze, which is a welcome relief after the scorching summer. There's also a special atmosphere in the city, with the smell of milk flowers in the evening and street vendors selling green sticky rice. It always puts me in a good mood.

Yes, quite a lot, actually. When it's sunny and mild, I feel energetic and want to be outdoors. But during long stretches of grey, drizzly weather in late winter, I tend to feel a bit sluggish and unmotivated. I've learnt that getting outside for a walk, even on gloomy days, helps lift my spirits.

Not every day, but most days, especially during the rainy season. I usually glance at the weather app before leaving home, so I know whether to bring a raincoat. It's essential when you ride a motorbike, because getting caught in a sudden downpour is no fun at all. In autumn, when the weather's settled, I check it far less often.

I'd like to talk about a time last September, when a typhoon completely ruined a trip I'd been looking forward to for months. My friends and I had planned a long weekend in Quang Binh, in central Vietnam, to go caving in Phong Nha. We'd booked everything weeks in advance: the train tickets, a homestay and a guided tour through one of the caves. Five of us were going, and we'd even made a group chat full of photos and plans. It was meant to be a little celebration after a very stressful exam period. Unfortunately, about two days before we were due to leave, the forecast showed that a strong typhoon was heading straight for the central coast. At first, we hoped it might change direction, but by the day before our departure, the authorities had issued warnings, and the tour company called to say all cave trips were cancelled for safety reasons. On the day we should have been travelling, it was pouring with rain even in Hanoi, and the news was full of pictures of flooded roads and fallen trees in the central provinces. As for how I felt, I was really disappointed at first. We'd put so much effort into planning, and we lost some of the money we'd paid. But after a while, I started to see things differently. When I saw the damage the storm caused, I realised that our cancelled trip was a very small problem compared with what local people were going through. In the end, we made the best of it by having a cosy weekend at a friend's house, cooking and watching films, and a few of us donated to a flood relief fund. We finally made the caving trip the following spring, and the weather was perfect.

In many ways, I think. Climate affects everything from what people eat and wear to how they design their homes and spend their free time. In hot countries like Vietnam, for instance, a lot of daily life takes place outdoors, on the pavement or in open-air markets, and people often start work early to avoid the midday heat. In colder countries, social life tends to happen indoors, and homes are built to keep the heat in. Climate can even shape a country's economy, through farming and tourism. Of course, modern technology like air conditioning has reduced this influence to some extent.

Generally, yes, at least for the next few days. Forecasts have improved enormously thanks to satellites and computer models, so a forecast for tomorrow is usually quite accurate. I'd certainly trust it when deciding whether to take an umbrella. However, the further ahead you look, the less reliable they become, so I wouldn't plan an outdoor wedding based on a forecast two weeks away. Tropical weather can also be unpredictable, with sudden storms appearing out of nowhere. So I'd say forecasts are a useful guide, but it's always wise to have a backup plan.

The main reason, according to most scientists, is climate change. As global temperatures rise, the atmosphere holds more moisture and energy, which can lead to more intense storms, heavier rainfall and longer heatwaves. In Vietnam, for example, typhoons and floods in the central region seem to be getting more severe. That said, part of the reason it seems more frequent may be that we hear about it more. Thanks to the internet and social media, we now see dramatic images of floods or wildfires from all over the world almost instantly, which makes these events feel more common.

I think cities need both short-term and long-term measures. For heatwaves, planting more trees and creating green spaces can significantly cool down urban areas, and buildings could be designed with better insulation and shading. Cities should also set up cooling centres for vulnerable people, like the elderly. As for floods, improving drainage systems is essential, since many streets in Hanoi flood after just one heavy downpour. Some cities, such as Rotterdam, have even built parks that double as water reservoirs. Above all, I believe planners have to stop building on natural floodplains, otherwise the problem will only get worse.