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Scientists Declare Earth's Super-Sized El Niño Over

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Federal meteorologists proclaimed the end of the super-sized El Niño Thursday with much of Southern and Central California still in the midst of exceptional drought conditions.

The announcement officially ends the hope of many Californians that the El Niño conditions would generate storms that would be drought busters in the state.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, nearly percent of the state is still under some level of drought conditions which is an improvement over the nearly 100 percent a year ago.

Much of Southern California, including Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, remained in the most dire of conditions -- exceptional drought. In all 21 percent of the state -- all in Southern or Central California -- qualified for the exceptional drought designation.

Last year in June, nearly 47 percent of the state found itself in the exceptional drought state.

San Francisco and the Peninsula were listed in the abnormally drought category -- the least severe of the drought levels. The East Bay, including Walnut Creek, Danville and Dublin areas, were listed in the moderate drought level.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say the El Niño has ended, 15 months after its birth in March 2015. El Niño is a natural warming of parts of the central Pacific that changes weather worldwide.

NOAA Climate Prediction Center deputy director Mike Halpert says this El Niño triggered droughts in parts of Africa and India and played a role in a record hurricane season in the Pacific. It also added to man-made warming, as Earth has had 12 straight record hot months.

Halpert said this will go down as one of the three strongest El Niños on record, along with 1997-1998 and 1982-83.

TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten. The Associated Press contributed to this report

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