Ever wondered why people say they can smell rain before it rains? They are not pulling your leg - there is real science behind it. It is all because of petrichor, made up from the Greek words "petra", meaning stone, and '"ichor", which refers to the golden fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in their mythology. It basically means the the "smell of rain" with the phrase coined by Australian scientists Joy Bear and Richard Thomas in 1964. Jeff Weber, a meteorologist with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Unidata Program Center told the Mirror: "Petrichor is caused by oils derived from plants, primarily leaves, that accumulate over dry periods. These oils settle into soils or onto pavement over time and are released into the atmosphere by being disturbed by rainfall." According to the Met Office, the reason people claim to smell rain because it comes is because "when a higher humidity is experienced as a precursor to rain, the pores of rocks and soil become trapped with moisture forcing some of the oils to be released into the air". Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Despite some being released before it actually rains, the strongest smell is released during. This is when raindrops landing on soil "trap tiny air bubbles on the surface which then shoot upward" and "burst out of the drop throwing aerosols of scent into the air where they are then distributed by the wind". The smell is produced by a soil bacteria which releases a chemical called geosmin, which provides an "earthy", musky or fresh aroma. Before it rains, a person might be able to smell the scent of ozone, or O3, which is a naturally present gas in the atmosphere which gets its name from the Greek word 'ozein', or smell. It sometimes indicate that a storm is on the way because pockets of gas are pushed down to ground level by winds. This means that those who are sensitive to the smells will likely be able to pick them up. So now you know. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

There’s a reason high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is so popular – it’s designed to give you a killer workout in a short amount of time. HIIT classes are short, sharp bursts of exercises where you’re working out above 85% of your maximum heart rate, and Sean Johnson, regional fitness manager at Orangetheory Fitness, can see why they’re “tempting”. “A lot of people are pressed for time and seek a ‘quick fix’. To many people, the assumption is ‘no pain, no gain’ and so therefore seek out a hard-hitting, pulse-shattering workout to undo the unhealthy habits they may have gotten themselves into,” he says. “A hard workout can feel very rewarding when you move fast and blast around for a short time.” Plus, there are benefits to HIIT training, with Johnson saying: “A shorter, more intense workout does have the ability to elicit a longer afterburn compared to a less intense longer workout.” But is there a chance we’re overdoing it, in a bid to ‘get the most’ out of our workouts? There’s a growing trend for lower intensity exercise – often using a heart rate monitor so you can track where you’re at – which might provide a whole host of benefits, without making you feel a bit sick. Signs you might be overdoing it “Working at a maximal heart rate can sometimes cause people to feel lightheaded, dizzy, faint and nauseous. This isn’t very fun and can also deter people from coming back,” suggests Francesca Sills, exercise physiologist at Pure Sports Medicine. Johnson agrees: “Working out for too long at an intensity that is too high can put numerous stresses on the body such as fainting, vomiting and even serious cardiovascular and respiratory health issues.” A heart rate monitor can help you track how hard you’re pushing yourself, but if you don’t have one, Johnson recommends going by “feeling”. Orangetheory uses three terms to define your perceived exertion: “Base pace is a ‘challenging, but doable’ feeling, push pace is an ‘uncomfortable feeling’ and all out is an ‘empty the tank feeling’,” Johnson explains. He doesn’t recommend spending more than a minute in the ‘all out’ section, and other signs you might be overdoing it include “fatiguing earlier than you normally do, dizziness, light headed, you get injured or have joint and muscle pain regularly”. Downsides to HIIT? Sills suggests there aren’t necessarily downsides to HIIT, just “things to be wary of”. She says: “If you’re working very hard for a long time or for longer than you are used to, it’s possible that you’ll finish the session feeling unwell rather than energised.” Johnson says there is the risk of overtraining with regular HIIT classes. “In the shorter term, working out at an intensity too high can stress your adrenal glands and stimulate the release of cortisol (the stress hormone). In turn, this can have numerous side effects such as increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, encourage fatigue and ultimately hinder recovery. “If your body cannot recover properly, you will find it hard to get into a regular routine with your fitness and will see a lack of results.” The benefits of slowing down Johnson suggests incorporating lower-intensity exercise into your routine can improve your everyday life. “Doing workouts that don’t raise your heart rate to the extremes can help reduce the risk of injury (and risk of falls and trips), reduce fatigue and pain, elevate your mood, improve sleep quality, while still helping to burn calories,” he says. Sills mentions how ‘zone two’ workouts are a “hot topic” in the fitness world recently – this is a type of low-intensity, sustained exercise where you’re working at around 65-75% of your maximum – for example, going for a gentle jog where you can still hold a conversation. She says these types of workouts are gaining popularity because of the “large amount of benefit it brings to the health and efficiency of your cardiovascular and metabolic systems”. If you’re used to leaving it all on the floor with an intense workout every time you hit the gym, it can be tricky to know how to slow down. Johnson recommends using the ‘FITT principle’ to adjust your exercise routine: Frequency: Instead of doing your four workouts next week try doing only threeIntensity: Do your normal four workouts, but take it down a notch in each one.Time: Instead of doing four x 90 minute workouts next week, maybe try doing four x one hour workouts.Type: Switch it up and use different equipment or style of workout. Johnson adds: “Having slower days will enable you to focus more on the form and technique, which transfers over to the high intensity days as well.” Doing HIIT safely While it’s a good idea to mix up your workouts with different intensities, there are a few things you can do to make sure you don’t overdo it in HIIT. Sills recommends ensuring “you are eating well to fuel your body for performance”, and “get on top of your sleep routine to allow your body to rest and repair”. If you’re a newbie to exercise, she wouldn’t necessarily recommend a HIIT class immediately: “If you haven’t done much training before, it’s important to learn how to do things right and build a good base level of strength and fitness before going in and smashing yourself. If you aren’t sure how to perform exercises well when you’re fresh, you aren’t setting yourself up for success when you’re fatigued.” And finally, she says: “It’s important to work within your own limits. Often these classes are busy, loud and intense and people can be encouraged to continue to do more weight, more reps, etc. Issues arise when people push too far beyond what they can manage. Instead of working at a 10/10 all the time, drop it back to an eight to nine.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How to perk up urban balcony gardens and window boxes Sadiq Khan and Romesh Ranganathan: Women still aren’t equal in politics and comedy SPF cocktailing: Why you should steer clear of the buzzy TikTok trend

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A furious Lance Stroll shoved his British personal trainer and then stormed out of a television interview following his dismal qualifying session for the Qatar Grand Prix. After he failed to make it out of Q1 – finishing more than a second behind Fernando Alonso in the other Aston Martin – Stroll took aim at his performance coach, Henry Howe. Stroll ignored Howe’s request to exit the front of the garage. Howe attempted to restrain Stroll only for the Canadian to angrily push him out of the way. Stroll, 24, then faced the media and provided six words to three questions about his performance which leaves him 17th on the grid. Asked to describe his emotions, Stroll replied: “S***.” Quizzed on what is not clicking for him behind the wheel Stroll added: “I don’t know.” And when he was challenged as to how he would handle the remainder of the weekend, Stroll simply said: “Keep driving,” before he walked off. Stroll, the son of Aston Martin’s fashion billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll, has been blown away by team-mate Alonso this season. Alonso, who qualified fourth for Sunday’s race here, has scored 174 points to Stroll’s 47. He has claimed all of Aston Martin’s seven podiums this year while Stroll has managed only three points from his last seven appearances. Read More Max Verstappen fastest in Qatar practice as he closes in on world championship Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher

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In a sea of trendy fashion, luxe beauty products, and designer shoes, it’s hard for Nordstrom’s home section to truly shine. But we refuse to let this year’s Nordstrom Anniversary Sale home deals go unnoticed. From 30%-off Diptyque candle sets to 37%-off Le Creuset dutch ovens, we think the following picks are some of the finest Nordstrom Anniversary Sale price cuts around.