Spring might be in the air but March has a sting in its tail
That spring is in the air is an observation all of us have made over the past week. It is unmistakable and intoxicating – the fresh scent of a world thawing and returning to life.
But it has left me wondering what it is that confirms this in our minds. Is it simply a case of warmer temperatures or is something more deep-seated occurring?
Last year a group of scientists from the UK, Sweden and Hungary took it upon themselves to answer this question. After various experiments they concluded it was a biological process beneath our feet that made us recognise that spring had arrived.
They linked the odour of spring to a 450 million-year-old seasonal dance between bacteria called Streptomyces and millimetre-long grubs called springtails.
To attract the springtail, the bacteria release a chemical called geosmin, which contains that earthy scent. Theirs is a symbiotic relationship – springtails eat the bacteria, which then cover the insects in spores, allowing it to reproduce and spread.
Streptomyces are of great benefit to humans as these soil bacteria are one of our most important sources of antibiotics. As ever, the shifting of the seasons is a process more ingrained in us than we can possibly imagine.
The balmy weather of late is due to warm winds that have been blowing up from Africa across Europe. While things are likely to remain dry and largely settled in the days to come, it will also be turning a little more chilly, with overnight frost in parts of the country.
Looking further ahead, forecasters say we may well be in for another cold snap before the month of March is out.
The saying normally goes that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.
This year, though, winter might still have one final roar.