The Panama Canal Authority (PCA) has issued warnings that there may be draught restrictions in place as early as April 2016 due to a low water level in the canal.
Lack of rainfall due to the recent El Niño has caused a series of the worst recorded rainfalls for the Gatun and Alajuela lakes that form major sections of the canal.
"Despite numerous water conservation measures implemented throughout 2015, the El Niño phenomenon brought an unusually dry rainy season to the canal watershed, impeding Gatun and Alajuela Lakes from reaching their optimum levels prior to the beginning of the 2016 dry season period," the advisory states.
The 2015 canal watershed runoff recorded the second worst in a history of 103 years of systematic hydrological information. Rainfall during 2015 was 36 per cent below average and during the last twenty-nine months, twenty-six of those recorded precipitations below normal.
According to the PCA Gatun Lake's level was at 25 metres on February 17, the lowest on record for the time of the year. "Based on weather forecasts and water consumption estimates for the upcoming months, the Panama Canal is anticipating the possibility that sometime during April 2016 draught restrictions may be imposed to transiting vessels.
"The above information is provided for planning purposes only, and any actions taken that may affect transit operations will be announced in a timely manner," the notice concluded.