As the poem, "A Sunburnt Country" states, Australia is truly a country of drought and flooding rain. While we have certainly experienced the flooding side of things in recent times, all signs point to the return of a drier climate this year.

As in other areas, Western Plains farmers are preparing themselves for lower yields after the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) moved the El Nino status from 'watch' to 'alert' this week.

El Niño describes changes in the tropical Pacific Ocean that affect global weather and it occurs on average every three to five years. It is an event in stark contrast to La Nina which brings higher than average rainfall, as experienced in the Western Plains area in the last few years.

In 2018, the El Niño conditions exacerbated the existing drought situation in the western plains of NSW. Many areas experienced prolonged dry spells, diminished water resources, and reduced crop yields. The lack of rainfall and increased evaporation rates also led to decreased soil moisture levels, further affecting agriculture and livestock.

Bureau of Meteorology Senior Climatologist Catherine Ganter said climate models and indicators now meet the Bureau's El Niño ALERT criteria. 

"The Bureau's long-range winter forecast is for drier and warmer conditions across almost all of Australia and the climate conditions in the Pacific Ocean are already factored into our forecasts," she said. 

During 2018's drought conditions, Katrina Curtis from Narromine said her husband was forced to seek work elsewhere.

"He was lucky enough to pick up a truck-driving job carting hay and feed to farms interstate but it was a very hard time on us both financially and emotionally," she said.

Ms Curtis' story was just one of many captured in a book called "My Drought Story".

While the predicted El Nino does not necessarily mean drought conditions, there are likely impacts according to BOM.

"If an El Niño develops, its impact can vary depending on where you are, as well as from event to event," Ms Ganter said. "In Australia, changes during El Nino could include reduced rainfall for Eastern Australia, warmer daytime temperatures for the southern two-thirds of Australia, increased bushfire danger in south-eastern Australia and increased frost risk linked to clear skies at night."

Ms Curtis said her family lived and breathed the 2018/19 drought from the day it began to the day it rained.

"We are now a stronger and more resilient couple because of it," she said. "I dread the day we have to go through it again. I can only hope that next time we are in a better financial position at the beginning and will be more mentally prepared for what's to come."

As with anything involving Mother Nature, there is little we can do but wait.