The cyclical nature - the ebb and flow - of drought in NSW is clearly illustrated by these maps in which shaded areas indicate those affected by drought. The variable and unreliable nature of the Australian environment is demonstrated by the alternating good and bad seasons which have been a climate pattern for eastern Australia since the time of the First Fleet.

Scientific and meteorological advances over the past 30 years now tell us that they are linked to changes in water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean; the El Nino effect, which can dominate our weather patterns. While these maps indicate the regularity of drought in NSW: they also show that droughts always end and are often followed by good rainfall seasons.