{
  "id": 7445556,
  "title": "Panama Canal to cut maritime traffic again due to El Nino",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/panama-canal-to-cut-maritime-traffic-again-due-to-el-nino",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-15T01:06:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2026/09/15/panama-canal-to-cut-maritime-traffic-again-due-to-el-nino"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Panama Canal is set to reduce maritime traffic once again due to the ongoing El Nino weather pattern, it has been announced. Currently, about 5% of global trade passes through the waterway, which relies on water to power its locks for lifting and lowering ships. This requirement becomes particularly crucial during droughts, as experienced in Central America, posing significant challenges for the canal's operation.\n\nThe administration of the Panama Canal has already cut daily transits from 36 to 32 in September to conserve water. It is now planning to further reduce this number to an average of 29.5 transits per day starting from October, according to a draft budget submitted to Panama's parliament. Minister of Canal Affairs, Jose Ramon Ycaza, emphasized that this budget ensures the canal's safe, continuous, efficient, and profitable operation.\n\nThis year's El Nino is anticipated to be the strongest in four decades. In 2023, a similar phenomenon led to a reduction in daily transits from 38 to 22. Additionally, the US-Israeli conflict with Iran has increased canal traffic due to the chokepoint situation in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a key conduit for a fifth of the world's oil and gas.",
  "summary": "The authorities cut daily transits from 36 to 32 on Sept 4 to preserve water and will slash them further to 'an average of 29.5 transits' a day starting in October.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Panama Canal to cut maritime traffic again due to El Nino",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/panama-canal-to-cut-maritime-traffic-again-due-to-el-nino-7450071",
        "published": "2026-09-15T01:06:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian",
        "title": "Panama canal traffic to be cut again as drought from El Niño worsens",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/panama-canal-traffic-to-be-cut-again-as-drought-from-el-nino-worsens",
        "published": "2026-09-15T02:43:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}