Panama Canal to cut number of ships passing through due to El Niño

What the report says

The Panama Canal Authority said it will reduce the number of ships allowed to transit the waterway because of low rainfall linked to El Niño. According to the BBC World News report, the limit will fall from 36 vessels a day to 32, beginning on 15 September, with the changes being phased in from 3 September.

The authority said the step is meant to protect water supplies and keep operations reliable as the canal faces pressure from reduced rainfall. The canal depends on freshwater to operate its locks, and officials said they needed additional measures even after introducing some water-saving steps and despite the start of the rainy season in Central America.

The canal is a major route for international trade, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and serving about 14,000 ships a year. It is also an important source of revenue for Panama, generating roughly $3 billion annually, according to the report.

BBC World News noted that the move follows earlier restrictions during the last El Niño in 2023, when Panama experienced exceptionally dry conditions. More broadly, El Niño is a recurring warming pattern in the Pacific that can disrupt weather around the world; some forecasts suggest the current episode could be especially strong, although the exact impact remains uncertain.