Farmers are being cautioned to prepare contingency plans amid early signs of a large El Nino climate event this year.
In New Zealand, the ocean-driven system typically brings cooler, wetter conditions, bringing higher rainfall to regions that are normally wet, and often drought to areas that are usually dry.
The National Institute of Water and Atmosphere has given a 50 per cent chance of an El Nino developing over winter, while international forecasts have put the probability of one arriving by the end of the year as high as 80 per cent.
Federated Farmers adverse events spokeswoman Katie Milne saw the picture as cause for vigilance.
“Farmers do need to be aware it is getting to be more of a stronger prediction than just a hint – and to be thinking about what happened in affected areas in those years when we had strong El Ninos,” she said.
“It would be advisable to start thinking about whether they need a plan about what they need to do if the worst does come to pass.”
In El Ninos, farmers in the western, wetter parts of the country could face significant damage to pastures from too much rainfall, and it was also harder for stock to thrive in the constant wet.