U.S. keeps outlook for strong El Nino through Northern Hemisphere winter

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. government weather forecaster on Thursday maintained its outlook for strong El Niño conditions as likely to continue through the Northern Hemisphere into 2016, potentially roiling global crops and commodities prices. The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) again pegged the likelihood of El Niño conditions persisting through the winter at about 95 percent, peaking in late fall/early winter. It said its El Nino conditions would likely start gradually weakening next spring. El Niño is a warming of ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific that occurs every few years, triggering heavy rains and floods in South America and scorching weather in Asia and as far away as east Africa. CPC's forecast was little-changed from its September outlook and in line with a growing consensus for a strong Niño that will weaken in 2016. Across the United States, "below-average temperatures and above-median precipitation" due to the conditions are likely to be seen during the upcoming months, CPC said in its report. To read the full CPC forecast, click: http://1.usa.gov/1l5XUb3 (Reporting by Chris Prentice; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and W Simon)