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 a drought linked to El Nino, the Panama Canal Authority said on August 20.

The authority said lower than forecast rainfall in the canal's watershed required measures to support the long-term sustainability of the waterway, which links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The canal handles five percent of global maritime trade and around 40 percent of US container traffic. It is fed by rainwater collected in two artificial lakes.

The operator has already introduced other water-saving measures, including lowering the maximum draft, or depth in the water, for the largest ships.

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. Honduras placed 80 percent of the country on drought alert on Wednesday.