When asked to define drought, there isn't just one right answer. Many different definitions exist for this word. Drought implies a lack of moisture for an extended period of time which in turns causes a deficit of moisture in the soil. This can mean different things for different areas. For areas which receive high amounts of precipitation, a condition of drought can develop more rapidly than in an area which doesn't receive high amounts of precipitation.
Many problems can arise due to droughts, including crop damage and water supply shortage.
How severe a drought is depends mostly on the degree of the deficiency, the time period, and the size of the area affected. The primary season in which it occurs, delays in the beginning of the normal rainy time periods, and rain events occurring relative to the growth stage of crops are examples of this timing. Every region has been through a period in which a condition of drought existed. In some areas, these conditions can be influenced greatly by certain mechanisms. These mechanisms include an increase in area and persistence of sub-tropical high pressure cells, changes in summer monsoonal circulations, lower ocean temperatures, and the displacement of the mid latitude storm track.