Panama Canal warns of strengthening El Niño threat to water levels

The Panama Canal is closely monitoring a strengthening El Niño event that could affect rainfall and water availability across its watershed. Experts from the Panama Canal, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and Panama’s Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (IMHPA) discussed the latest conditions and their potential impact on the country. Strong El Niño could bring earlier dry season Steve Paton, STRI’s Director of Physical Monitoring, described the current conditions as unusual. He said the dry season recorded exceptionally high rainfall. However, the rainy season is now experiencing a precipitation deficit.