{
  "id": 5679637,
  "title": "Panama Canal begins reducing crossings due to El Nino",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/panama-canal-begins-reducing-crossings-due-to-el-nino-5679637",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-04T23:39:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/09/05/panama-canal-begins-reducing-crossings-due-to-el-nino"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Panama Canal has commenced reducing the number of ships traversing its waters due to a drought triggered by the El Nino weather phenomenon. The Panama Canal Authority announced that dwindling water levels in the two artificial lakes supplying the canal necessitated this adjustment. Initially, 36 vessels were permitted to pass through the Atlantic-Pacific oceanic conduit each day; however, this figure will be gradually reduced to 32 by mid-September. Panama has declared a national emergency in response to the El Nino, a weather pattern impacting winds, pressure, rainfall, and global temperatures. This year's El Nino is anticipated to be the most intense since comparable records commenced four decades ago, although it has not yet reached its peak. Central America, including Honduras and El Salvador, is grappling with a severe drought, leading to similar emergency declarations. The Panama Canal, responsible for 5% of global maritime trade and approximately 40% of US container traffic, has already implemented other water-saving measures, such as reducing the maximum draft for the largest ships. In 2023, El Nino compelled the authority to decrease the daily crossings to 22 vessels.",
  "summary": "The number of vessels allowed through the waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans will be lowered from 36 per day to 32 by mid-September.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "How El Nino-driven drought is squeezing the Panama Canal and putting global supply chains at risk",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/how-el-nino-driven-drought-is-squeezing-the-panama-canal-and-putting",
        "published": "2026-09-04T13:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Panama Canal begins reducing crossings due to El Nino",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/panama-canal-begins-reducing-crossings-due-to-el-nino-5678264",
        "published": "2026-09-04T23:39:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Panama Canal begins reducing crossings due to El Nino",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/panama-canal-begins-reducing-crossings-due-to-el-nino",
        "published": "2026-09-04T23:53:21.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "RTE News",
        "title": "Panama Canal begins reducing crossings due to El Niño",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/panama-canal-begins-reducing-crossings-due-to-el-nino",
        "published": "2026-09-05T00:37:44.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Panama Canal begins reducing crossings due to El Nino",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/panama-canal-begins-reducing-crossings-due-to-el-nino-5690861",
        "published": "2026-09-05T01:58:44.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}