Rain Rain Go Away

The entire state of New South Wales has been under water-usage restrictions due to a drought for several years. However you wouldn't know that from the mild and sometimes rainy weather this summer. California's summers are so dry--sometimes it won't rain for weeks or even months. Utah's are similair with occasional desert storms. I am not used to depending so much on the unreliable Sydney Morning Herald forecasts to know what days to go to the beach. I believe these summer rains are similar to the East Coast of the United States, Southeast Asia, and many tropical climates.