sorry, i know everyone is sick of moaning smokers, but does anyone know exactly what constitutes a "covered area"?

I just went outside for a cig and we couldn't use our previous dry spot because it was covered, so we found a dry cubby type area of our building. but where is the line? how high does the cover have to be before it's no longer a perminent cover? what if the rain is going at an angle? do we have to prove that we are uncovered, by standing in the rain? surely outside is outside? no?