There are some indicators that experts use to determine if a condition can be called a drought. These indicators help local authorities, states, or governments to plan and release appropriate relief resources to affected areas. Besides those, here are some common scenarios of droughts:

Meteorological drought:

This kind is usually determined by the general lack of moisture in the weather. It includes lack of precipitation and the play of other weather conditions such as dry winds, high temperatures, and so on. It is expressed as the average conditions of the region over some time. It is usually an indicator of a potential water crisis if the condition is prolonged. Meteorological drought can begin and end immediately.

Agricultural drought:

This is when atmospheric moisture is reduced to the extent that soil moisture is affected. Here, crops and animals are affected, and evapotranspiration is also affected. It is often the signs one sees when a meteorological drought is at play, but not before a hydrological drought.

Hydrological drought:

This is when there is a deficiency of surface water and groundwater supply in a region, often as a result of less precipitation, excessive reliance on surface water for farming, energy, and other needs. Hydrological drought does not usually occur at the same time as meteorological drought. In a way, this decline in the quantity and quality of surface and sub-surface water is the effect of meteorological drought.

Socioeconomic drought:

This condition is when some supply of some goods and services such as energy, food, and drinking water is reduced or threatened by changes in meteorological and hydrological conditions. Sometimes it is even made worse by growing populations and excessive demands of such goods, to the point that it creates stress on the little water available. It takes a very long time for this kind of drought to get into full gear, and a long time to recover from it.