U.S. weather forecaster says El Niño expected to begin in one-two months

By Chris Prentice NEW YORK (Reuters) - The El Niño weather phenomenon is expected to occur in the next 1-2 months and last into next spring in the Northern Hemisphere, though it will likely be weak, the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) agency of the National Weather Service said on Thursday. While the forecast marks the strongest prediction yet from the U.S. weather forecaster after going on watch earlier this year, the call for a weak El Niño means the pattern will have less of an impact on global crops than previously expected. "This El Niño will likely remain weak throughout its duration," CPC said in its monthly forecast. El Niño, the warming of sea surface temperatures in the Pacific, can cause flooding and heavy rains in the United States and South America and can trigger drought conditions in Southeast Asia and Australia. (Reporting by Chris Prentice; Editing by Bernadette Baum)