Chris Hogg wrote:
Be better to get hours of gentle rain putting down the same amount of
water as a downpour does in 30 mins. A lot of the down pour will just
run off the hard, bone dry, ground. Gentle rain over an exteneded
period will tend to soak in far more.

Yes, I know that slow and steady is the ideal, but a downpour will be
better than nothing.

Would at least re-fill the water butts