6 ‘bad weather’ movies to watch on rainy days like this

With the weekend set to be cold and wet, why not curl up on the sofa with some of the best ‘bad weather’ movies Hollywood has to offer

The kids are still on midterm break but the weather is too stormy to send them outside. Now what? Outdoor activities are a definite no-no, and long drives can wait until the heavy rain has passed. Shopping? That can be done online.

Our plan for the day and night ahead is to curl up on the sofa (microwave popcorn in hand) and watch some of the best weather-themed disaster films Hollywood has to offer. Here are six of our favourites:

The Day After Tomorrow

This 2004 thriller sees climatologist Jack Hall’s research prove true: there’s a superstorm sweeping the earth and it’s causing a second ice age.

New York City is about to freeze over – but with Jack’s son Sam in the city for a school trip, will he make it out alive? Starring Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal, this movie is as realistic as the storm outside. Available to download from iTunes.

Into The Storm

This fast-paced film documents a series of unprecedented tornadoes that tear through Silverton, a small town in Oklahoma. Enormous hailstones fall from the sky, buildings get flooded and cars are lifted from the ground by storm-force winds.

If large-scale, stomach-wrenching special effects are your jam, this 2014 film is for you. Available to download from iTunes.

The Impossible

Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor star in this gripping and emotional film based on true events. Set in Thailand, the award-winning movie documents the lead-up and aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. Parents Maria, Henry and their three sons are torn apart by the deathly, 100-foot wave. They must fight for survival while trying to find their ways back to one another. Available to download from iTunes.

Twister

It’s an oldie, but a classic. Twister is about a professor who recruits her students to help gather data on the most powerful storm in decades.

Played by Helen Hunt, Dr Jo Harding also enlists the help of her soon-to-be ex-husband Bill Harding, played by Bill Paxton. Will this couple, who are on the brink of divorce, make it through the tornado unscathed? Available to download from iTunes.

Hard Rain

Morgan Freeman stars alongside Randy Quaid and Minnie Driver in this 1998 natural disaster film. The small town of Huntingburg is forced to evacuate when torrential rains bring rising flood waters, but while all this is going on, so too is a $3 million bank heist.

Any film with Morgan Freeman is worth a watch in our books. Available to download from iTunes.

Noah

Imagine the tale of Noah’s Ark, but instead of Noah, it’s Russell Crowe. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, this film is a reworking of the biblical story from the Book of Genesis.

With an impressive cast and astounding special effects, the film has been very well received by critics and fans alike. Available to download from iTunes.

Top photo: The Day After Tomorrow, Centropolis Entertainment and Lionsgate Films

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