Drought is spreading across southern Australia, with some areas seeing record-low rainfall. Even recent winter weather has offered little relief.

Phil speaks with Chiara Holgate, Senior Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Weather of the 21st Century, Australian National University, who says this may be “a glimpse of what’s to come” as the climate changes. Current dry zones closely match areas expected to face more frequent and longer droughts in the future.

The big questions now: why have the rains stopped, and when will they return? While the Bureau of Meteorology’s latest forecast shows some hope for winter, understanding these droughts is crucial to protecting communities going forward.

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