Asia A large annual rainfall minimum, composed primarily of deserts, stretches from the Gobi Desert in Mongolia west-southwest through Pakistan and Iran into the Arabian Desert in Saudi Arabia. Rainfall around the continent is favored across its southern portion from India east and northeast across the Philippines and southern China into Japan due to the monsoon advecting moisture primarily from the Indian Ocean into the region. The monsoon trough can reach as far north as the 40th parallel in East Asia during August before moving southward thereafter. Its poleward progression is accelerated by the onset of the summer monsoon which is characterized by the development of lower air pressure (a thermal low) over the warmest part of Asia. Cherrapunji, situated on the southern slopes of the Eastern Himalaya in Shillong, India is one of the wettest places on Earth, with an average annual rainfall of 11,430 mm (450 in). The highest recorded rainfall in a single year was 22,987 mm (904.9 in) in 1861. The 38-year average at Mawsynram, Meghalaya, India is 11,873 mm (467.4 in). Lower rainfall maxima are found on the Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts of Turkey and the mountains of Tajikistan. Australia Most of Australia is semi-arid or desert, making it the world's driest continent. The movement of the monsoon trough is linked to the peak of the rainy season within the continent. Northern portions of the continent see the most rainfall, which is concentrated in the summer months. During winter and spring southern Australia sees its maximum rainfall. The interior desert sees its greatest rainfall during spring and summer. The wettest spot is Mount Bellenden Ker in the north-east of the country records an average of per year, with over of rain recorded in the year 2000. While Melbourne is thought of as being significantly wetter than Sydney, Sydney receives an average of 1212 mm (47.8 in) of rain per year compared to Melbourne's 650 mm (25.5 in), although Sydney is significantly sunnier and receives less days of rain. New Zealand New Zealand's Cropp River has the 4th highest rainfall in the world with a 11499mm per year average. The river may only be only 9 km long but it certainly punches above its weight in precipitation. Europe On an annual basis, rainfall across the continent is favored within the Alps, and from Slovenia southward to the western coast of Greece. Other maxima exist in