From September 3, 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 on Thursday. It will drop to 32 from September 15 on.
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, August 20.
From September 3, 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. It will drop to 32 from September 15 on, the agency said.
Central America is in the throes of a severe drought driven by El Niño, a weather pattern that warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, triggering worldwide changes in winds, atmospheric pressure and rainfall.
Rainfall down 34 %
In the area of the canal, rainfall from May to August is down by 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 around 40 % of US container traffic.
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.
It has already implemented other water conservation measures, such as lowering the maximum draft – the vessel's depth in the water – for the largest ships.
In 2023, the water level in the lakes feeding the canal was so low the waterway's operators cut the daily ship transit number from 38 to 22.
It said Thursday that with the upcoming reduction, waiting times for ships trying to get through without making a reservation beforehand will increase.
Le Monde with AFP
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