Panama Canal to increase daily transits as water levels improve

The number of ships allowed through the drought-hit Panama Canal each day will be increased thanks to signs of an improvement in water levels, authorities said Monday. The interoceanic channel is a key transit point for international cargo, but low water levels blamed on climate change and the El Nino phenomenon last year led officials to limit the number of vessels using it.
The Panama Canal Authority said Monday that it had informed clients it would gradually allow up to 32 ships through per day, compared with a limit of 27 announced a month ago.The channel uses rainwater stored in two artificial lakes. The canal used mainly by customers from the United States, China and Japan.