How El Niño Causes Panama Canal to Restrict Traffic The Panama Canal, a vital artery of global trade, has reduced its traffic due to the ongoing effects of El Niño.
This climate phenomenon, characterized by abnormal warming of the ocean waters in the eastern Pacific, brings unusually high sea levels and unpredictable weather patterns that compromise the canal's operations.
Ships are being turned away or delayed at the waterway's entrances, causing disruptions to global trade routes and economies.