Panama Canal to cut ship crossings to 32 a day

The Panama Canal will cut the number of vessels allowed through the waterway from 36 a day to 34 from September 3 and then to 32 from September 15 because of low water levels in two artificial lakes that feed the canal, the Panama Canal Authority said on August 20.

The authority linked the drought to El Nino and said rainfall in the canal area from May to August was 34 percent below its historical average. It said lower than forecast rainfall in the canal's watershed required measures to support the long-term sustainability of the waterway.

The canal links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and handles five percent of global maritime trade and around 40 percent of US container traffic. The operator has already introduced other water-saving measures, including lowering the maximum draft, or depth in the water, for the largest ships.

The authority said waiting times will increase for ships trying to pass through without a prior reservation. It said it does not rule out further restrictions depending on rainfall in the coming weeks.

Central America is facing a severe drought driven by El Nino, a weather pattern that warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean and can change winds, atmospheric pressure and rainfall around the world. In 2023, low water levels led canal operators to cut daily ship transits from 38 to 22.

Water is a sensitive issue in Panama because the lakes that feed the canal also provide water for half the population of 4.2 million people. Honduras placed 80 percent of the country on drought alert on Wednesday.