The Panama Canal is an important water road. It connects the Atlantic with the Pacific. From September fewer ships drive there. First the number sinks to 34 ships per day. From mid-September only 32 ships drive. Currently there are still 36 ships daily.
Reason for the block is too little rain. In the region rules great dryness. This lies on the weather event El Nino. Thereby the water in the Pacific becomes very warm. This changes the weather on the whole world. There is then often less rain or great heat.
The canal needs very much water for its locks. A ship needs much fresh water during the lock process. This water comes from big lakes nearby. Because of the dryness the water level sinks in the lakes. The operators want to save the remaining water. So the canal remains usable longer.
Through the canal flow 5 percent of the worldwide trade. When fewer ships drive, the transport takes longer. This can make goods for customers more expensive. Experts expect even more extreme weather events for the coming months.
