Good news for the Panama Canal!
Water levels in Gatun Lake are higher than expected, allowing the canal authority to increase the depth that ships can travel through the canal (draft). The draft will increase twice: first to 47 feet (14.33 meters) on June 26th, and then to 48 feet (14.63 meters) on July 11th.
The canal authority is also increasing the number of large ships (Neopanamax) that can use the canal each day. Starting on August 5th, there will be space for 35 ships to book passage, up from 34.
These changes are possible because of recent rainfall that has improved water levels in the canal. While the canal isn’t back to full capacity yet (normal draft is 50 feet), things are looking much better than they were in 2023, when low water levels caused problems. The drought is blamed on the El Nino weather phenomenon, not climate change.
