Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
El Niño Driven Severe Drought Reduces Panama Canal Capacity Further Straining Global Supply Chains
Most of us know that the closure of The Hormuz Strait has severely restricted the flow of oil and consumer goods in the Middle East due to the war.
Far fewer of us realize that the El Nino is severely disrupting ship transport through the Panama Canal.
I chat all about the Panama Canal and impacts on global shipping trade and consumer markets.
Please donate to PaulBeckwith.net to support my research and videos connecting the dots on abrupt climate system mayhem.
GoFundMe: gofundme.com/f/help-paul-continue-his-climate-emergency-research
References and Links:
Article from Inside Climate News:
A Severe Drought Is Straining the Panama Canal. Could Global Warming Make It Worse?
An El Niño-fueled drought is forcing the Panama Canal to reduce ship traffic, which could have profound impacts for businesses and consumers.
Link: insideclimatenews.org/news/25082026/todays-climate-el-nino-drought-panama-canal
CNN News Report:
One ship paid $4 million to skip the Panama Canal line. Here’s why that matters for your wallet
cnn.com/2026/08/21/climate/el-nino-panama-canal-drought-price-increase-consumers
Reuters Explainer News Article:
Explainer: What El Niño's return means for the Panama Canal — and global trade
reuters.com/business/environment/what-el-nios-return-means-panama-canal-global-trade-2026-08-21
Earth Nullschool World Map:
earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/overlay=temp/equirectangular
Nature article:
Climate Change Impacts and Projections in Central America and the Caribbean
Link: nature.com/nature-index/topics/l4/climate-change-impacts-and-projections-in-central-america-and-the-caribbean
Panama Canal Water Shortage
google.com/search?q=panama+canal+water+shortage&oq=panama+canal+water+shortage&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQABiABDIICAIQABgWGB4yCAgDEAAYFhgeMggIBBAAGBYYHjIICAUQABgWGB4yDQgGEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgHEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgIEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgJEAAYhgMYgAQYigXSAQoxMzczMGowajE1qAIIsAIB8QVNtzoTBvRtCA&sourceid=chrome&source=chrome.rb&ie=UTF-8
Geopolitical Futures Article
Drought Disrupts the Panama Canal
geopoliticalfutures.com//pdfs/drought-disrupts-the-panama-canal-geopoliticalfutures-com.pdf
Compare the Panama Canal capacity to the Hormuz Strait.
google.com/search?q=Compare+the+Panama+Canal+capacity+to+the+Hormuz+Strait.&oq=Compare+the+Panama+Canal+capacity+to+the+Hormuz+Strait.&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRiPAjIHCAQQIRiPAjIHCAUQIRiPAtIBCjIxNzAwajBqMTWoAgiwAgHxBUBQRRi_iVih8QVAUEUYv4lYoQ&sourceid=chrome&source=chrome.rb&ie=UTF-8
Dispatches Article:
With the Strait of Hormuz closed, the Panama Canal is busier than ever. It should use this windfall wisely.
atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/with-the-strait-of-hormuz-closed-the-panama-canal-is-busier-than-ever-it-should-use-this-windfall-wisely
Nature Magazine Article:
Why are El Niños getting stronger? 1000-year-coral record points to climate change
nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02717-9
Peer-reviewed Science Article:
Recent strengthening of eastern Pacific ENSO in the last millennium paleorecord
Abstract
The Pacific El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) generates climate extremes that endanger ecosystems, infrastructure, and human well-being worldwide. The response of this system to climate warming is poorly constrained, due both to data scarcity and uncertainties in climate models. The geochemistry of Galápagos coral skeletons across the past millennium reveals a large recent increase in interannual variability of sea surface temperature in the eastern equatorial Pacific compared to existing paleorecords that exceeds simulated natural variability. This increase parallels rising global temperature and results from stronger El Niño events. Central Pacific coral data also show increased variability, although less distinctly than in the Galápagos. Our results provide long-term context for understanding ENSO variability trends, with troubling implications for climate extremes.
science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ady2660?utm_source=cbnewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=2026-08-28&utm_campaign=DeBriefed+Hottest+oceans+Nepal-Tibet+glacier+collapse+Creating+graphics+for+IPCC+reports
Please donate to PaulBeckwith.net to support my research and videos connecting the dots on abrupt climate system mayhem.
GoFundMe: gofundme.com/f/help-paul-continue-his-climate-emergency-research
Please subscribe to my YouTube channel. As well as my website, and YouTube, you can find me on Patreon, Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Reddit (multiple climate channels within), Quora, TikTok, Discord, Mastodon, Twitch, Vimeo, Bluesky, TruthSocial, Threads, Substack, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc...
El Niño Driven Severe Drought Reduces Panama Canal Capacity Further Straining Global Supply Chains
Most of us know that the closure of The Hormuz Strait has severely restricted the flow of oil and consumer goods in the Middle East due to the war.
Far fewer of us realize that the El Nino is severely disrupting ship transport through the Panama Canal.
I chat all about the Panama Canal and impacts on global shipping trade and consumer markets.
Please donate to PaulBeckwith.net to support my research and videos connecting the dots on abrupt climate system mayhem.
GoFundMe: gofundme.com/f/help-paul-continue-his-climate-emergency-research
References and Links:
Article from Inside Climate News:
A Severe Drought Is Straining the Panama Canal. Could Global Warming Make It Worse?
An El Niño-fueled drought is forcing the Panama Canal to reduce ship traffic, which could have profound impacts for businesses and consumers.
Link: insideclimatenews.org/news/25082026/todays-climate-el-nino-drought-panama-canal
CNN News Report:
One ship paid $4 million to skip the Panama Canal line. Here’s why that matters for your wallet
cnn.com/2026/08/21/climate/el-nino-panama-canal-drought-price-increase-consumers
Reuters Explainer News Article:
Explainer: What El Niño's return means for the Panama Canal — and global trade
reuters.com/business/environment/what-el-nios-return-means-panama-canal-global-trade-2026-08-21
Earth Nullschool World Map:
earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/overlay=temp/equirectangular
Nature article:
Climate Change Impacts and Projections in Central America and the Caribbean
Link: nature.com/nature-index/topics/l4/climate-change-impacts-and-projections-in-central-america-and-the-caribbean
Panama Canal Water Shortage
google.com/search?q=panama+canal+water+shortage&oq=panama+canal+water+shortage&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQABiABDIICAIQABgWGB4yCAgDEAAYFhgeMggIBBAAGBYYHjIICAUQABgWGB4yDQgGEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgHEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgIEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgJEAAYhgMYgAQYigXSAQoxMzczMGowajE1qAIIsAIB8QVNtzoTBvRtCA&sourceid=chrome&source=chrome.rb&ie=UTF-8
Geopolitical Futures Article
Drought Disrupts the Panama Canal
geopoliticalfutures.com//pdfs/drought-disrupts-the-panama-canal-geopoliticalfutures-com.pdf
Compare the Panama Canal capacity to the Hormuz Strait.
google.com/search?q=Compare+the+Panama+Canal+capacity+to+the+Hormuz+Strait.&oq=Compare+the+Panama+Canal+capacity+to+the+Hormuz+Strait.&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRiPAjIHCAQQIRiPAjIHCAUQIRiPAtIBCjIxNzAwajBqMTWoAgiwAgHxBUBQRRi_iVih8QVAUEUYv4lYoQ&sourceid=chrome&source=chrome.rb&ie=UTF-8
Dispatches Article:
With the Strait of Hormuz closed, the Panama Canal is busier than ever. It should use this windfall wisely.
atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/with-the-strait-of-hormuz-closed-the-panama-canal-is-busier-than-ever-it-should-use-this-windfall-wisely
Nature Magazine Article:
Why are El Niños getting stronger? 1000-year-coral record points to climate change
nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02717-9
Peer-reviewed Science Article:
Recent strengthening of eastern Pacific ENSO in the last millennium paleorecord
Abstract
The Pacific El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) generates climate extremes that endanger ecosystems, infrastructure, and human well-being worldwide. The response of this system to climate warming is poorly constrained, due both to data scarcity and uncertainties in climate models. The geochemistry of Galápagos coral skeletons across the past millennium reveals a large recent increase in interannual variability of sea surface temperature in the eastern equatorial Pacific compared to existing paleorecords that exceeds simulated natural variability. This increase parallels rising global temperature and results from stronger El Niño events. Central Pacific coral data also show increased variability, although less distinctly than in the Galápagos. Our results provide long-term context for understanding ENSO variability trends, with troubling implications for climate extremes.
science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ady2660?utm_source=cbnewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=2026-08-28&utm_campaign=DeBriefed+Hottest+oceans+Nepal-Tibet+glacier+collapse+Creating+graphics+for+IPCC+reports
Please donate to PaulBeckwith.net to support my research and videos connecting the dots on abrupt climate system mayhem.
GoFundMe: gofundme.com/f/help-paul-continue-his-climate-emergency-research
Please subscribe to my YouTube channel. As well as my website, and YouTube, you can find me on Patreon, Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Reddit (multiple climate channels within), Quora, TikTok, Discord, Mastodon, Twitch, Vimeo, Bluesky, TruthSocial, Threads, Substack, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc...
