Panama Canal begins reducing crossings because of El Niño

The Panama Canal has begun restricting traffic as drought linked to El Niño lowers the water levels in the two artificial lakes that supply the waterway. The Panama Canal Authority plans to reduce crossings progressively, from 36 ships a day to 32 by mid-September.

Panama has declared a nationwide emergency over El Niño, a Pacific weather pattern that changes winds, atmospheric pressure and rainfall while raising global temperatures. Central America is already experiencing severe drought, prompting Honduras and El Salvador to declare emergencies as well.

The canal has also introduced other conservation measures, including a lower maximum draft for the largest ships. The restriction is significant for global trade because the canal carries 5% of maritime commerce worldwide and about 40% of US container traffic.

El Niño forced the authority to limit crossings to 22 vessels a day in 2023. The current event is expected to become the strongest since comparable records began four decades ago. The World Meteorological Organization said a potentially exceptional warming event is firmly established in the tropical Pacific and could strengthen into a “very strong” El Niño in the coming months.

The WMO expects the event to intensify through the autumn and peak toward the end of 2026, with effects continuing into 2027. It stressed that El Niño is a naturally occurring phenomenon, although this event is unfolding on a warmer planet with unusually warm oceans.

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very strong