Looking at the map, most of Australia seems to be desert. However, most of the people live on the east cost, which is quite green. Except when it doesn’t rain. Australia is not that different: when it doesn’t rain, there is drought.

One peculiarity about Australia, and especially about the eastern part, is that it is affected by ENSO – El Ninõ Southern Oscillation. The effects of El Nino phase in that area include drought. (La Nina brings rains.) The current state of ENSO is early stages of El Nino. It seems that the effects have already been noticed Down Under. Or at least they are having the the worst drought in liviing memory, or a “thousand year event”.

On the other hand, the long term trend in the ENSO events shows light bias towards the El Nino type of conditions. But you know the weather: you just can’t predict it