In response to Lindsay Leake (LTE, Sunraysia Daily, October 7), there is no doubt many farmers face bad drought conditions around Australia and in the Murray-Darling Basin.

But I’ve shown this is because of the Indian Ocean dipole and El Nino, La Nina changes in the Indian and Pacific oceans. And it seems the SAM is having an impact over Tasmania, south-east Australia and south-west Western Australia as well.