Panama Canal Establish Draft Restriction

In a bid to ensure safe operation during low water levels, which have been caused by the El Niño weather, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has set a maximum draft of 11.89 metres in tropical fresh water, which will start from April 18, 2016, according to the Journal of Commerce.

PTI has previously reported on the serious effects caused by the weather phenomenon ‘El Nino’, which refers to the periodic warming of the sea-surface temperatures and can cause below average water levels.

Technical Paper: The Panama Canal: The Early Years

The ACP said: “When this occurs, El Niño changes the pattern of rainfall in many regions of the planet.

Technical Paper: Superstorms and Rising Sea Levels

“In this case, it has triggered a drought in the Canal Watershed, causing the water levels of Gatun and Alhajuela Lakes to fall substantially below their average for this time of year.”

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