'It's raining cats and dogs', 'blowing a gale' and 'throwing it down' are the most common phrases Brits are likely to utter to describe the weather .
A study of 2,000 Brits has revealed the words and phrases most likely to be used when assessing the changeable Great British climate.
Other popular phrases include 'it's the calm before the storm', 'the sun has got it's hat on' and 'it's absolutely Baltic'.
Three in 10 have turned to the northern comic Peter Kay's classic observational line 'it's that fine rain that soaks you through' to describe drizzle.
And 24 per cent of the population have used the phrase 'I like it hot, but not this hot.'
But Brits are more likely to bring up the weather when it's unexpectedly hot – and 27 per cent think they feel more positive when it is cold and sunny.
The study was conducted by Britain's first ever next-day-delivery air conditioning and boiler installers, BOXT, whose CEO, Andy Kerr said: "Improving technology has increased our temptation to wax lyrical about the weather, from improved forecasts, to automated thermostats and apps to help us maintain temperature control in our surroundings.
"It's no wonder we are so fascinated by the weather and how we can influence our environment through technology to make sure we are prepared for what is forecast."
It also emerged more than eight in 10 admit to a love of discussing the ever-changing climate, with the average Brit spending the equivalent of more than six months of their life talking about the weather.
A typical weather chat crops up three times a day and lasts an average of two minutes and 46 seconds on each occasion.
The nation's obsession with talking about the temperature has also now spread to conversations with household tech devices
Of those who own a device with a voice assistant, one third get their daily fix from chatting to voice-activated services on the phones or gadgets in their homes, querying what the weather will bring.
On average, those polled will have their first discussion about whether it's hot or cold by 9:47am, most frequently to colleagues after arriving at work.
More than a quarter like to discuss the effect it's having on their sleep, and one in five are compelled to complain when their house feels too hot in the sun.
According to the study carried out via OnePoll, two in five Brits turn to the weather as a conversation-starter when they need to get a chat going.
Another four in 10 believe the desire to default to talking about the weather conditions is 'just automatic', and 47 per cent believe it's a particularly British thing to do.
However, one in five believe ranting about the weather – whether it's too hot or too cold – is just a great excuse just to have a moan.
Andy Kerr from BOXT added: "While it's impossible to control the weather outside your door, it is now simpler than ever to regulate the temperature inside your home, whether the issue is heating your home in the winter, or installing air-conditioning to cool your home when things start to heat up."
Top 10 phrases used to describe the weather
1. It's raining cats and dogs
2. It's blowing a gale
3. It's throwing it down
4. It's that fine rain that soaks you through
5. It's the calm before the storm
6. A storm is brewing
7. It's brass monkey weather out there
8. The sun has got his hat on
9. It's absolutely Baltic
10. It's blowing a hooley
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