Weatherzone, By; Michael Cavanagh, 05/30/2013

A team of Sydney climate researchers believe they now have a better understanding of when droughts will end and when rain may fall. The El Nino climate pattern, which in Australia leads to drier than normal conditions, is triggered by changes to water temperature off the South American coast around Christmas time.

Dr Shayne McGregor, from the University of NSW's Climate Change Research Centre, says while the build up of El Nino is still difficult to predict, the latest findings mean that forecasters will have a better idea of when it would end and bring rain.

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