Drought is a continuous period of dry weather, when an area gets less than its normal amount ofrain, over months or even years.Crops and otherplants needwater to grow, andanimals need it tolive. Droughts can become dangerous to people and otherland animals; causingfamine and evencreating deserts.
The word "drought" comes from the Old English drugað, drugoð "drought, dryness, desert," from Proto-Germanic *drugothaz, from Germanic root *dreug- "dry" (cf high/height) with *-itho, Germanic suffix for forming abstract nouns (see -th (2)).
Drought is anatural disaster which usually takes place slowly. It is often difficult to decide when a drought started and sometimes when it ends too. Its effects often build up slowly over a long period of time and may last from months to years after rain resumes.
