rains - I loveRain. Cultural attitudes towards rain differ across the world. In the largely temperate Western world, rain metaphorically has a sad and negative connotation — reflected in children's rhymes like Rain Rain Go Away — in contrast to the bright and happy sun. Though the traditional notion of rain in the Western World is negative, rain can also bring joy, as some consider it to be soothing or enjoy the aesthetic appeal of it. In dry places, such as parts of Africa, India, and the Middle East, rain is greeted with euphoria. (In Botswana, the Setswana word for rain, 'pula,' is used as the name of the national currency, in recognition of the economic importance of rain in this desert country.) Several cultures have developed means of dealing with rain and have developed numerous protection devices such as umbrellas and raincoats, and diversion devices such as gutters and storm drains that lead rains to sewers. Many people also prefer to stay inside on rainy days, especially in tropical climates where rain is usually accompanied by thunderstorms or rain is extremely heavy (monsoon). Rain may be harvested, though rainwater is rarely pure (as acid rain occurs naturally), or used as greywater. Excessive rain, particularly after a dry period has hardened the soil so that it cannot absorb water, can cause floods. Many people find the scent during and immediately after rain especially pleasant or distinctive. The source of this scent is petrichor, an oil produced by plants, then absorbed by rocks and soil, and later released into the air during rainfall. Light, or sometimes heavy, rain is sometimes also seen as romantic. Rain can also and always will be to some people very depressing due to bleak clouds. A country noted for its raininess is the United Kingdom. The reputation is partly deserved because of the frequency of rain driven into the country by the south-western trade winds following the warm gulf stream currents. Areas along the western coasts (including those in Ireland) can receive between 40 inches (sea-level) and 100 inches (mountains) of rain per year. However, what is less well known is that the eastern and southern half of the country is much drier, with the south east having a lower rainfall average than Jerusalem and Beirut at between 450 and 600mm per year. One city that is known for rain is Seattle, Washington, United States. Rain is common in the winter, but mostly the climate is cloudy with little rain. Seattle's average rainfall is 37.1 inches (942 mm) per year,[4] less than New York City with 46.2 inches (1173 mm),[5] but has 201 cloudy days per year (compared to 152 in New York).[6] However, it should be noted that Seattle lies in the rain shadow of the nearby Olympic Mountains, with some locations on the windward sides of the mountains receiving close to 200 inches (5080 mm) per year.[7]