{
  "id": 6223733,
  "title": "Panama Canal chief says more transit reductions possible as reservoirs drop amid severe El Nino impact",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/panama-canal-chief-says-more-transit-reductions-possible-as",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-08T02:49:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/money/2026/09/08/panama-canal-chief-says-more-transit-reductions-possible-as-reservoirs-drop-amid-severe-el-nino-impact/234373"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Panama City, September 8 — The Panama Canal Authority's new chief warns that the number of ships traveling through the canal could be further reduced due to drought caused by the severe El Nino weather pattern. Panama has declared a national emergency over El Nino, a phenomenon affecting global weather patterns and raising temperatures. This year's El Nino is the strongest since records began four decades ago. Despite rising canal usage, Panama has already cut the maximum number of ships allowed per day from 36 to 32 in mid-September. The canal operates using rainwater in two reservoirs, which have dwindled due to the drought. Without water, the locks that raise and lower ships cannot function. Ilya Espino de Marotta, the first woman to lead the US-built canal authority, said further measures may be taken if the drought persists. \"We do not rule out the possibility that in February or March we may have to lower the limit — probably not to 24 slots per day, but it could be reduced to 29 or something similar,\" she said. Each ship requires about 200 million liters of water, which is discharged into the sea. In 2023, El Nino caused a reduction in daily transits from 38 to 22. Canal authorities have also reduced their maximum draft from 15.2 meters to 14.6 meters. Experts warn that long-term restrictions could lead to higher shipping costs and longer delivery times. The canal, which is the fastest route between the east coast of the US and China, handles about 40% of US container traffic. With shipping halted in the Iran-affected Strait of Hormuz, the Panama Canal has become a fallback route for energy shipments.",
  "summary": "PANAMA CITY, Sept 8 — The number of ships sailing through the Panama Canal could be cut further due to drought cau...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}