In the past, there has been a hope that science could solve the problem of drought by cloud seeding, irrigating vast tracts of land or breeding super-resilient plants and animals. Clearly drought is not a problem that can be solved but rather a risk that must be managed. Since the earliest days of settlement the erratic rainfall has been a recurring feature of agriculture in NSW. It is unusual for any decade to pass without one or two major droughts but no-one can say for certain when droughts will occur or how long they will last.

This Primefact discusses:

• what characterises an El Niño event;
• impact of El Niño on NSW;
• Australian Rainman software;
• seasonal outlooks;
• weather and climate information.