SYDNEY, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Dry weather will remain across Australia for at least the next three months, the country's meteorological bureau said on Thursday, intensifying a drought that has wilted crops and left farmers struggling to stay in business.
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said in its latest three-month weather outlook that there was just a 30-percent chance rainfall would exceed average levels over much of the country's east coast in the next three months.
If the drought gets worse, Australia's agricultural sector will endure further crop losses, while farmers will also be forced to slaughter livestock in greater numbers as they struggle to find enough food or water to keep them alive.