While Australians have understandably been fixated on the terrible drought on our own continent, spare a thought for the plight facing the next continent to the left.

This writer can recall standing in the rainforest at the lip of the Victoria Falls, some years ago, wearing a raincoat so as not to get soaked by the spray from the natural wonder known as "The Smoke that Thunders".

A tourist walks along a path in the dried rainforest at the Victoria Falls in November. A series of heatwaves has dried most of the vegetation surrounding the UNESCO World Heritage site. Credit:AFP

The Victoria Falls, Africa's biggest, lies between the southern African nations of Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is formed as the waters of the Zambezi River plummet over a precipice 1.7 kilometres wide by more than 100 metres deep.

But now, the cliffs – hidden behind an avalanche of water when the river is in full flow – stand naked. This year has been the worst since 1996.