A full Lake George is an exceptional sight.

Following heavy rainfall throughout 2021, the lake, which is situated 40km northeast of Canberra, is beginning to look like a full body of water again after the 2017-2019 drought left it barren and lifeless.

Numerous pictures are circulating online of people admiring Lake George in all its glory, but is it here to stay or should we expect these continued fluctuations as our climate grows more extreme at either end of the scale?

Professor Bradley Pillans from the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences has been exploring the history of Lake George in recent times. He says the lake is now as full as its been since October 2017.

“It comes and goes on a decadal basis,” he says.