Panama Canal has confirmed that it will not restrict vessel passage for the rest of 2026, even if El Nino weather patterns begin in the second half of this year, as forecast, which could lead to a new drought in Central America, according to the waterway. The Panama Canal, which connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, currently allows 38 ships per day to pass through. This has increased in recent months due to an increase in demand mainly because of the U.S. and Israeli 'war on Iran'.

El Nino, a climate pattern that occurs every 2-7 years, causes warm ocean temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. This leads to wetter and colder winters in parts of 'the U.S., and a reduction in rainfall in Central America. Panama, usually one of the wettest countries in the world, was affected by a severe drought between 2023-2024. This led to restrictions on vessel passage through the Panama Canal and long waiting times.

The U.S. National Weather Service reported this week that El Nino will likely emerge between May and July, and continue to affect the Northern Hemisphere from late 2026 until early 2027.

In response to a comment request late Thursday, the authority of the freshwater operated Canal said that it has been taking measures for water conservation since 2025 in anticipation of a future?El Nino.

It said that "the levels of the Gatun Reservoir have been maintained historically high."

It said that the canal authority has been closely monitoring the weather forecasts at the beginning of the rainy seasons since early May in order to plan for next year.

(source: Reuters)