* The current drought is one of the worst in the past century.
* Autumn in 2018 was the fourth-warmest autumn on record, with rainfall totals below average for most of Australia.
* Last month was also the driest July nationally since 2002.
* In NSW, drought is affecting roughly 99 per cent of the state, with the Western, North West, Northern Tablelands, Hunter, Central West, Central Tablelands, Riverina and South East regions hardest hit.
* About 58 per cent of Queensland is in drought, with producer group AgForce saying parts of the state's west and south have been drought-affected for more than six years.
* Along with parts of NSW and Queensland, rainfall deficiencies deepened in July in northern Victoria, eastern pastoral and southern agricultural regions of SA and southern WA and its Gascoyne coast.
* On top of the dry conditions, there is a 50 per cent chance of an El Nino weather event developing in spring 2018, which is linked with below average rainfall in Australia's southeast.
The Turnbull government has announced a new $190 million package for farmers as they struggle through what's being described as one of the worst droughts of the past century.
The funding, which includes a boost for mental health services, takes the federal government’s drought response to $576 million.
With further funding for the Farm Household Allowance, couples will now be eligible to receive up to $12,000 in additional lump-sum payments, while single households will get $7,200.
Eligible farmers will receive the first payment on September 1st, with another round of funding to flow on March 1st next year.
The government is also changing the assets test to allow an estimated 8000 more farmers to access support to recognise the severity of the drought.
The Prime Minister has also urged almost 20,000 farmers eligible for drought relief who are yet to claim welfare payments to contact a financial counsellor.
The government will give the Rural Financial Counselling Service an extra $5 million to provide more support for farmers, particularly those applying for the allowance for the first time.
The announcement also includes $11.4 million in funding for other initiatives supporting the mental wellbeing of farming families and their communities.
