Four benefits of going out in the rain

From its distinctive smell to the negative ions it releases, rain has some fascinating benefits for our bodies – especially when it comes to our mood. It was the sixth straight day of the heat index topping 100F (38C) in New Milford, Connecticut, when the sky turned a sickening shade of puce. I was leading an outdoor theatre workshop, and noticed campers gawking at an ominous, miles-long shelf cloud advancing overhead. Then a thunderclap shook the ground, and lightning stretched across the sky like a jagged web.