This year’s El Niño is expected to be strong to very strong, tilting the odds toward a hotter, drier winter and spring across southern and eastern Australia. Droughts, water shortages and a dangerous fire season become more likely. It makes sense to prepare. But the size of the event isn’t set in stone. For authorities, farmers and land managers, this poses a challenge – wait, and risk being unprepared, or act with a chance preparations may go to waste. Prescribed burn windows, water allocatio