Panama canal traffic to be cut again as drought from El Niño worsens
Summary
The Panama Canal will reduce the number of ships passing through daily because a drought caused by the El Niño weather pattern has lowered water levels. This canal is very important for global and US trade, and lower water means fewer ships can safely use it.Key Facts
- The Panama Canal handles about 5% of global shipping and 40% of US container traffic.
- Starting in October, only about 29.5 ships will be allowed through each day, down from 36 in August.
- The canal uses water from rivers feeding into Lake Gatun to operate locks that raise and lower ships.
- Low rainfall has dropped water levels in the lake, forcing limits on ship traffic for safety.
- In September, water levels were lower than expected, leading to earlier transit cuts from 36 to 32 ships daily.
- El Niño is a natural weather event causing dry conditions in Central and northern South America.
- El Niño is predicted to be the strongest in 40 years, potentially worsening the drought and restrictions.
- Long waits to enter the canal have caused some ships to pay large fees to skip ahead in the queue.
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