NOAA-6 and NOAA-7 Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) global-area coverage (4 km ground resolution) data were obtained at three-day intervals throughout each of the four-month periods covering the 1980, 1983 and 1984 growing seasons, between latitudes 10° and 22° North in the Democratic Republic of Sudan. Daily rainfall data for twelve meteorological stations spanning the Savanna Zone were analysed. Rainfall in Sudan during 1980 was below normal, but in 1983 and 1984 there were moderate and severe droughts. The satellite data were used to calculate normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values from the visible and near-infrared bands of the satellite data. These were processed into ten-day composite data sets using the AVHRR thermal-infrared channel as a cloud screen and a temporal compositing procedure that reduces cloud contamination and selects viewing angles closest to nadir.