The Panama Canal will cut the number of ships passing through it due to the drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon, the operator of the strategic waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific. Further restrictions are possible as Central America [and the Caribbean are] gripped by severe drought. Here are excerpts from Agence France-Presse (via the Guardian UK).
The Panama Canal will cut the number of ships passing through it starting next month because of drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon, the operator of the strategic waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific said Thursday. From 3 September, the number of vessels allowed through each day will fall from 36 to 34 due to low water levels in two artificial lakes that feed the canal, the Panama Canal Authority said. From 15 September, the number of ships permitted will drop to 32.
Central America is in the throes of a severe drought driven by El Niño, a weather pattern that warms surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, triggering changes in winds and rainfall.
In the area of the canal rainfall from May to August is down 34% from its historical average, the authority said, adding that El Niño could cut it even more.
The Panama canal handles 5% of global maritime trade and about 40% of US container traffic. The canal is favoured by many shippers because it usually reduces cost and transit times, especially for large retailers and energy companies that trade between China and the rest of Asia, and the US.
The canal operator said that “lower than forecast rainfall in the canal’s watershed” called for measures to bolster the “long-term sustainability” of the waterway. [. . .]
Water is a touchy issue in Panama because the lakes that feed the canal also provide water for half the population of 4.2 million people.
El Niño occurs on average every two to seven years, and this year’s weather event is shaping up as one of the strongest on record. On Wednesday, the government of Honduras placed 80% of that Central American country on drought alert.
For full article, see https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/21/panama-canal-reduce-shipping-el-nino-drought