Panama Canal to reduce shipping over El Nino-fuelled drought

The Panama Canal has announced it will reduce the number of ships passing through from September due to a drought triggered by the El Nino phenomenon, according to the operator's statement on August 20. From September 3, the daily vessel limit will drop from 36 to 34, and further to 32 from September 15, the Panama Canal Authority revealed.

Central America is grappling with a severe drought fueled by El Nino, a weather pattern that heats surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, leading to global shifts in winds, atmospheric pressure, and rainfall. The Panama Canal, which handles 5% of global maritime trade and around 40% of US container traffic, is fed by rainwater collected in two artificial lakes.

The canal operator cited lower-than-forecast rainfall in the canal's watershed as the reason for the measures to ensure the "long-term sustainability" of the waterway. It has already taken other water conservation steps, such as reducing the maximum draft for the largest ships. This year's El Nino is reportedly one of the strongest on record. On August 19, Honduras' government placed 80% of the Central American nation under a drought alert.