Panama Canal restricts cargo loads as water levels drop

The canal also said the effects of El Niño, a climate pattern that in Panama can contribute to lower rainfall and drier conditions, are still being felt.

The authority said the rainy season has already started in Panama, but current watershed conditions still require extra water-saving steps to protect the long-term sustainability of canal operations.

The canal said it is not currently reducing the number of ships allowed to transit either the neo-Panamax or Panamax locks. But it warned that weather conditions are changing more quickly than previously expected and said further operational changes could be announced.

(Reporting by Kylie Madry; Editing by Iñigo Alexander)