There is no end in sight to the crippling drought that has devastated some rural areas.

While northern Queensland has been hit by two major flood events, much of the south and east of the country continues to suffer from a lack of rainfall, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s latest outlook.

“The outlook suggests warmer than average conditions are likely to persist, with a drier than average end to autumn likely in the east.

“In the south, many areas remain exceptionally dry, with most still waiting for the autumn break. In the Mallee region of Victoria, little or no rainfall has been recorded in April and less than 25mm has fallen so far this year.

“This means long-term drought continues in many areas. Total rainfall for the past two years over large parts of eastern and southern Australia has been well below average.”

The lack of rain has been exacerbated by high temperatures, with Australia experiencing a record-breaking hot start to the year, and the threat of El Nino looms.

The bureau remains on “El Nino alert”, meaning there is a 70% chance of the weather system developing this year.

“A short-lived El Nino may develop in the coming months. If El Nino does develop, it would increase the chances of drier conditions in the east.

“Even if El Nino doesn’t form, it is likely we will see more high-pressure systems and hence weaker cold fronts than normal across southern Australia in May and possibly June.”