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.

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If you are after simple, filling meals that require very little washing up… you are in the right place. As part of our Budget Bites column – where we’ve teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable, quick and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month – we’ve brought you three one-pan dishes that maximise on taste, and minimise on mess. They also make the most of your staple ingredients while keeping your fresh shopping list minimal. We’ve also provided a handy shopping list for the ingredients (though hopefully most of it will be knocking about already), which are used across all recipes to ensure minimal food waste. You just need to decide where to shop, whether it’s locally or online. Shopping list 3 clove garlic 1 small butternut squash 2 lemons 200g fresh spinach 10g fresh basil 1 aubergine 200g cherry tomatoes 20g fresh basil 1 small broccoli 250g mascarpone 50g hard Italian cheese 280g extra firm tofu 50g black olives 2 tbsp capers 500g pre-cooked gnocchi 150g couscous 200g orzo Olive oil 1 vegetable stock cube cube Roast broccoli and orzo traybake This recipe also works well with diced courgette instead of broccoli. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 4 tbsp olive oil 1 broccoli (small) 200g orzo 2 cloves garlic 1 vegetable stock cube cube 100g mascarpone 1 lemon Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 220C, then fill the kettle with water and get it on to boil - this will be for the tray bake. 2. Cut small florets from the stalk of 1 small head of broccoli. Finely mince the stalk. 3. Toss the prepped broccoli with 2 tbsp of oil and a generous pinch of salt in a large roasting tray. Spread it out into 1 even layer. 4. Roast for 10-12 minutes, until golden in places. Crack on with a bit of washing up while you wait. 5. Once the broccoli is ready, add 200g of orzo to the tray, then finely grate in 2 peeled cloves of garlic. 6. Crumble over 1 stock cube, tip in 500ml of boiling water, give everything a quick stir, and cover with tin foil tightly. 7. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the orzo is nearly soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed. 8. Once the orzo is nearly soft and nearly all the water has been absorbed, remove the foil and bake again for 5-6 minutes, until the orzo is soft and all the liquid has been absorbed. 9. Give the orzo a quick stir once ready, and season to taste with salt and pepper. 10. Add blobs from 100g of mascarpone, then finely grate over the zest from 1 lemon and squeeze over its juice. Drizzle over the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and serve. One-tray tofu caponata-style couscous If you aren’t a tofu fan, feel free to sub it out for another aubergine. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 280g extra firm tofu 1 aubergine 5 tbsp olive oil 200g cherry tomatoes 20g fresh basil 1 clove garlic 150g couscous 50g black olives 2 tbsp capers Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 220C - this will be for the tray bake later. 2. Cut 1 280g block of tofu into around 9-12 bite-sized chunks, then remove the green stalk from 1aubergine and cut the flesh into similar-sized chunks. 3. Toss the tofu and aubergine with 3 tbsp of oil and a generous pinch of salt in a large roasting tray. Spread everything out into 1 even layer. 4. Roast for 10-12 minutes, until golden in places. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 5. Add 200g of cherry tomatoes to a large measuring jug, along with 20g of basil, 1 peeled clove of garlic, 2 tbsp of oil, and a generous pinch of salt. 6. Blitz with a hand blender, until smooth - we will use this to cook the couscous in the next steps. 7. Once the tofu and aubergine are ready. Add 150g of couscous to the tray along with the cherry tomato broth. Give everything a quick stir and spread into 1 even layer. 8. Cover the tray tightly with tin foil. 9. Return to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the grains of couscous are soft and have absorbed all the liquid. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 10. Slice 50g of pitted olives crossways. Crack on with a bit of washing up while you wait for the couscous. 11. Once the couscous is ready, uncover the tray, and fluff the grains with a fork. Top with the olives, 2 tbsp of capers, and serve. Creamy roast squash gnocchi traybake If you can’t get your hands on mascarpone, try making this recipe with cream cheese instead. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 1 butternut squash (small) 3 tbsp olive oil 150g mascarpone 1 lemon 500g pre-cooked gnocchi 200g fresh spinach 50g hard Italian cheese 10g fresh basil Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 220C - this will be for the squash in the next steps. 2. Peel 1 small squash, cut it in half lengthways, scoop the seeds from the centre, then cut the flesh into bite-sized chunks. 3. Toss the chunks with 3 tbsp of oil and a generous pinch of salt in a large roasting tray. Spread everything out into 1 even layer in the tray. 4. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until completely soft and golden in places. Crack on with a bit of washing up while you wait. 5. Once the squash is ready, add 150g of mascarpone to the tray. Finely grate over the zest from 1 lemon, squeeze in its juice, then mash everything together with a potato masher until semi-smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 6. Add 500g of gnocchi to the tray along with 200g of spinach. Give everything a good mix, then spread out into 1 even layer. 7. Finely grate over 50g of cheese. 8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden, bubbling, and piping hot. Get on with the rest of the washing up while you wait. 9. Mix, top with leaves from 10g of basil, and serve straight from the tray! In response to the rising cost of living, we have teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable, quick and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month. Find out more about Sorted and their nifty meal-planning app Sidekick at sortedfood.com/sidekick. Read More Spirit of Sugarlandia: Why Filipino rum Don Papa is one to watch Diana Henry: ‘After a near-death experience, I saw the world differently’ Five easy recipes to cook with your kids How to cook to keep your gut healthy After Le Gavroche, Michel Roux is taking his cooking back to basics Three recipes from Michel Roux’s new fuss-free French cookbook

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