Panama Canal to reduce shipping over El Nino-fueled drought

The Panama Canal will reduce shipping volumes from next month because of a drought fueled by the El Nino phenomenon, the operator of the strategic waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans said Thursday.

From September 3, the number of vessels allowed through the canal each day will be reduced due to a lack of rain, the Panama Canal Authority said.

From 36 ships currently, the number will be lowered to 34, falling further to 32 from September 15, the agency said.

Central America is in the throes of a severe drought driven by El Nino, a weather pattern that warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, triggering worldwide changes in winds, atmospheric pressure and rainfall.

The Panama Canal handles five percent of global maritime trade and around 40 percent of US container traffic.

It is fed by rainwater that collects in two artificial lakes.

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.

El Nino occurs on average every two to seven years.

This year's El Nino is shaping up as one of the strongest on record.

On Wednesday, the government of Honduras placed 80 percent of that Central American country on drought alert.