Some people claim to be able to predict rain before it falls.
Most of Europe is now experiencing a heatwave, with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, but those of us in Ireland are all too familiar with the recent rain.

Predicting the weather is generally futile because it is likely to change five minutes later.

Some people, on the other hand, feel they can detect it before it arrives.

According to scientists, some people can smell it when it is raining.
Normally, if it rains after a long period of sunshine, you can smell it, but now some people claim they can smell the rain before it arrives, while others deny the concept entirely.

Yet, with the assistance of scientific investigation, it has been discovered that there is evidence to indicate certain people have the capacity to smell the rain before it arrives in what is known as ‘petrichor’.

Petrichor is derived from the Greek words ‘Petros’ (stone, as in petrify) and ichor (the fluid that ran through the veins of the Greek gods).

That odor is created by a solid bacterium known as ‘geosmin,’ and the ability to smell it is considered quite unusual, as it is more potent than a shark’s capacity to detect blood.

This fragrance is typically detectable after a rainstorm, since as raindrops hit the ground, they flatten out and trap small pockets of air before rising up and carrying any additional chemicals and microbes into the air with them.

Another molecule, ozone,’ also contributes to the fragrance of rain. It is considerably sweeter than petrichor and can occasionally suggest the presence of a storm.