New draft restrictions from the drought-stricken Panama Canal will mean that from next month the waterway will have slashed its draft by more than 2 m, with authorities warning daily transits may have to be cut by up to 25% in order to save water.
Panama has been suffering one of the worst dry spells in its history this year, with repeated announcements of draft restrictions on the canal, something likely to worsen with the onset of El Niño, a weather pattern that tends to bring dry weather to Central America.
The canal’s administrator, Ricaurte Vasquez, said he had not ruled out taking the “extreme measure” of limiting daily transits on the waterway from today’s 36 vessels to 28 vessels.
Read more in an article from splash247