Panama canal traffic to be cut again as drought from El Niño worsens
Latest daily reductions will further choke one of the world’s most important shipping lanes The Panama canal plans to again cut maritime traffic due to worsening drought caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon, further choking up one of the world’s most important shipping lanes. The canal handles 5% of global maritime trade and about 40% of US container traffic; it is favoured by shippers…
Panama Canal authorities plan to reduce maritime traffic once more due to worsening drought caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon. The canal, a crucial shipping lane handling 5% of global maritime trade and 40% of US container traffic, sees an average of 29.5 vessels transit daily from October, down from 36 in August. The reduction is attributed to lower-than-forecast rainfall in September, which has lowered the water level in Lake Gatun, the canal's freshwater reservoir.
This has prompted safety restrictions to preserve water. The US and Israel's war on Iran has added complications and costs to shipping logistics. In August, a container ship reportedly paid $4m to skip the queue during a 10-day wait, a price that typically rises during peak demand. The Panama Canal Authority may impose further restrictions if lake levels remain unsafe for the largest ships.
El Niño, forecast to be the strongest in four decades, has severely impacted Central America and northern South America, with nine countries experiencing their hottest June-August period on record.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Panama Canal to cut maritime traffic again due to El Nino freemalaysiatoday.com
