Summer is hopefully on the horizon, but there's still a couple of cloudy and rainy months in our way.
It goes without saying that the weather forecast isn't promised, in fact, it's almost like a guessing game, so is there a different way to predict incoming rain?
We all know about that refreshing smell in the air after a good downpour. But there is another way, according to some people, to detect bad weather before it hits, which has caused arguments on social media.
Some people claim to smell rain before it arrives, and, as crazy as that sounds, there is actually evidence to prove this myth to be true!
This has to do with 'petrichor'. The name petrichor comes from the Greek words 'petros' meaning stone (as in petrify) and ichor, which was the substance that flowed through the veins of the Greek gods.
The smell before and after rain is produced by soil bacteria, which releases a chemical called 'geosmin'. Our ability to smell geosmin is rather impressive, even outdoing the ability of sharks to be able to detect blood.
This particular smell becomes most prevalent after a spell of rain, as when the raindrops hit the ground and flatten out, they can trap pockets of air in there.
The chemical 'ozone' is another source of smell. Ozone has a distinct smell, which is sweeter than that of petrichor. The scent of ozone can sometimes indicate that a storm is on the way.
You learn something new every day.