Drought is a period of dry weather, especially a long one that is injurious to crops

There is not a universal temperature or lack of precipitation of drought, simply because what might be considered drought in Ohio wouldn’t necessarily be called drought in New Mexico. This is because Ohio normally receives a good amount of precipitation, while it is not uncommon for New Mexico to be dry. Before someone can say there is a drought somewhere, the normal precipitation rates should be considered.
There are four different types of drought. They are meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, and socioeconomic.
Meteorological- Meteorological drought type is caused from the departure of rain and other usual precipitation for a certain geographical area.
Agricultural- Agricultural drought happens when the amount of moisture in the soil does not meet the needs of a regional crop or plant.
Hydrological- Hydrological drought happens when surface and subsurface water supplies are below the normal amount of water.
Socioeconomic- Socioeconomic drought happens when a physical water shortage affects the public.

tralia is the driest inhabited continent even though some areas have Australia is the driest inhabited continent even though some areas have annual rainfall of over 1200 millimeters. Our climate is highly variable - across the continent generally, as well as from year-to-year. We must learn to live with drought!

Drought's impacts

During climate extremes, whether droughts or flooding rains, those on the land feel it most. Agriculture suffers first and most severely - yet eventually everyone feels the impact.

Drought disrupts cropping programs, reduces breeding stock, and threatens permanent erosion of the capital and resource base of farming enterprises. Declining productivity affects rural Australia and the national economy.

The risk of serious environmental damage, particularly through vegetation loss and soil erosion, has long term implications for the sustainability of our agricultural industries. Water quality suffers, and toxic algae outbreaks may occur; plants and animals are also threatened. Bushfires and dust storms often increase during dry times.

Its causes?

Australia has one of the most variable rainfall climates in the world. Over the long term we have about three good years and three bad years out of ten. These fluctuations have many causes, but the strongest is the climate phenomenon called the Southern Oscillation. This is a major air pressure shift between the Asian and east Pacific regions - its best-known extreme is El Niño. In recent years, the Bureau of Meteorology's greater understanding of El Niño has improved its ability to predict seasonal rainfall and help authorities and individuals with early drought warnings. More information is in the Bureau's brochure