Drought cuts draft and daily transits at the Panama Canal
Started 2023-03-01 (1 March 2023), ended 2024-09-01 (1 September 2024). Scroll to follow the record one dated step at a time. Read the full event record.
Transits, all vessel types, Panama Canal, 2022-12-31 (31 December 2022) to 2024-02-03 (3 February 2024): values ranged from 15 transits per day on 2023-12-26 to 38 transits per day on 2023-03-25. The shaded band marks the event window, 2023-03-01 to 2024-02-03. Small marks on the line show the dates of the timeline steps.
Transits, all vessel types, Panama Canal (transits per day), daily values shown in the story chart.
Date
transits per day
2022-12-31
34
2023-01-01
33
2023-01-02
31
2023-01-03
34
2023-01-04
36
2023-01-05
33
2023-01-06
30
2023-01-07
32
2023-01-08
28
2023-01-09
35
2023-01-10
35
2023-01-11
31
2023-01-12
31
2023-01-13
33
2023-01-14
34
2023-01-15
32
2023-01-16
34
2023-01-17
33
2023-01-18
34
2023-01-19
35
2023-01-20
34
2023-01-21
33
2023-01-22
30
2023-01-23
34
2023-01-24
29
2023-01-25
33
2023-01-26
37
2023-01-27
34
2023-01-28
29
2023-01-29
35
2023-01-30
32
2023-01-31
29
2023-02-01
33
2023-02-02
34
2023-02-03
31
2023-02-04
34
2023-02-05
26
2023-02-06
33
2023-02-07
33
2023-02-08
33
2023-02-09
34
2023-02-10
30
2023-02-11
32
2023-02-12
31
2023-02-13
31
2023-02-14
36
2023-02-15
27
2023-02-16
35
2023-02-17
32
2023-02-18
27
2023-02-19
33
2023-02-20
27
2023-02-21
33
2023-02-22
36
2023-02-23
28
2023-02-24
36
2023-02-25
34
2023-02-26
33
2023-02-27
33
2023-02-28
34
2023-03-01
32
2023-03-02
35
2023-03-03
31
2023-03-04
33
2023-03-05
34
2023-03-06
33
2023-03-07
33
2023-03-08
34
2023-03-09
31
2023-03-10
30
2023-03-11
33
2023-03-12
37
2023-03-13
30
2023-03-14
36
2023-03-15
32
2023-03-16
33
2023-03-17
30
2023-03-18
34
2023-03-19
32
2023-03-20
29
2023-03-21
34
2023-03-22
29
2023-03-23
35
2023-03-24
34
2023-03-25
38
2023-03-26
35
2023-03-27
34
2023-03-28
30
2023-03-29
36
2023-03-30
32
2023-03-31
32
2023-04-01
38
2023-04-02
33
2023-04-03
35
2023-04-04
36
2023-04-05
30
2023-04-06
33
2023-04-07
32
2023-04-08
32
2023-04-09
38
2023-04-10
34
2023-04-11
36
2023-04-12
33
2023-04-13
30
2023-04-14
36
2023-04-15
31
2023-04-16
34
2023-04-17
34
2023-04-18
36
2023-04-19
36
2023-04-20
36
2023-04-21
31
2023-04-22
34
2023-04-23
36
2023-04-24
34
2023-04-25
31
2023-04-26
31
2023-04-27
31
2023-04-28
32
2023-04-29
36
2023-04-30
36
2023-05-01
31
2023-05-02
30
2023-05-03
33
2023-05-04
32
2023-05-05
30
2023-05-06
33
2023-05-07
31
2023-05-08
33
2023-05-09
29
2023-05-10
29
2023-05-11
29
2023-05-12
30
2023-05-13
27
2023-05-14
33
2023-05-15
28
2023-05-16
26
2023-05-17
29
2023-05-18
33
2023-05-19
30
2023-05-20
34
2023-05-21
34
2023-05-22
36
2023-05-23
32
2023-05-24
32
2023-05-25
31
2023-05-26
35
2023-05-27
31
2023-05-28
30
2023-05-29
34
2023-05-30
30
2023-05-31
27
2023-06-01
34
2023-06-02
28
2023-06-03
31
2023-06-04
32
2023-06-05
33
2023-06-06
29
2023-06-07
31
2023-06-08
32
2023-06-09
30
2023-06-10
31
2023-06-11
28
2023-06-12
33
2023-06-13
27
2023-06-14
27
2023-06-15
31
2023-06-16
28
2023-06-17
32
2023-06-18
29
2023-06-19
29
2023-06-20
31
2023-06-21
28
2023-06-22
29
2023-06-23
33
2023-06-24
31
2023-06-25
29
2023-06-26
31
2023-06-27
29
2023-06-28
37
2023-06-29
33
2023-06-30
33
2023-07-01
32
2023-07-02
36
2023-07-03
32
2023-07-04
33
2023-07-05
34
2023-07-06
32
2023-07-07
28
2023-07-08
31
2023-07-09
31
2023-07-10
32
2023-07-11
33
2023-07-12
32
2023-07-13
33
2023-07-14
33
2023-07-15
33
2023-07-16
30
2023-07-17
29
2023-07-18
30
2023-07-19
30
2023-07-20
29
2023-07-21
28
2023-07-22
29
2023-07-23
28
2023-07-24
31
2023-07-25
37
2023-07-26
34
2023-07-27
35
2023-07-28
31
2023-07-29
29
2023-07-30
31
2023-07-31
33
2023-08-01
30
2023-08-02
33
2023-08-03
35
2023-08-04
29
2023-08-05
31
2023-08-06
29
2023-08-07
32
2023-08-08
32
2023-08-09
30
2023-08-10
31
2023-08-11
31
2023-08-12
30
2023-08-13
33
2023-08-14
29
2023-08-15
32
2023-08-16
29
2023-08-17
29
2023-08-18
31
2023-08-19
30
2023-08-20
31
2023-08-21
28
2023-08-22
32
2023-08-23
31
2023-08-24
31
2023-08-25
33
2023-08-26
29
2023-08-27
33
2023-08-28
31
2023-08-29
31
2023-08-30
31
2023-08-31
32
2023-09-01
31
2023-09-02
32
2023-09-03
30
2023-09-04
31
2023-09-05
30
2023-09-06
31
2023-09-07
33
2023-09-08
33
2023-09-09
31
2023-09-10
33
2023-09-11
31
2023-09-12
31
2023-09-13
30
2023-09-14
34
2023-09-15
29
2023-09-16
30
2023-09-17
32
2023-09-18
33
2023-09-19
29
2023-09-20
32
2023-09-21
28
2023-09-22
31
2023-09-23
31
2023-09-24
34
2023-09-25
29
2023-09-26
29
2023-09-27
32
2023-09-28
31
2023-09-29
31
2023-09-30
29
2023-10-01
30
2023-10-02
29
2023-10-03
31
2023-10-04
30
2023-10-05
31
2023-10-06
33
2023-10-07
35
2023-10-08
29
2023-10-09
34
2023-10-10
29
2023-10-11
30
2023-10-12
29
2023-10-13
29
2023-10-14
29
2023-10-15
32
2023-10-16
28
2023-10-17
28
2023-10-18
27
2023-10-19
32
2023-10-20
29
2023-10-21
27
2023-10-22
27
2023-10-23
35
2023-10-24
29
2023-10-25
31
2023-10-26
30
2023-10-27
32
2023-10-28
30
2023-10-29
29
2023-10-30
30
2023-10-31
29
2023-11-01
31
2023-11-02
28
2023-11-03
25
2023-11-04
22
2023-11-05
27
2023-11-06
28
2023-11-07
25
2023-11-08
26
2023-11-09
25
2023-11-10
24
2023-11-11
22
2023-11-12
23
2023-11-13
23
2023-11-14
21
2023-11-15
24
2023-11-16
23
2023-11-17
27
2023-11-18
22
2023-11-19
20
2023-11-20
21
2023-11-21
22
2023-11-22
24
2023-11-23
23
2023-11-24
22
2023-11-25
26
2023-11-26
24
2023-11-27
25
2023-11-28
26
2023-11-29
21
2023-11-30
23
2023-12-01
24
2023-12-02
28
2023-12-03
25
2023-12-04
24
2023-12-05
22
2023-12-06
20
2023-12-07
23
2023-12-08
19
2023-12-09
19
2023-12-10
21
2023-12-11
18
2023-12-12
20
2023-12-13
20
2023-12-14
23
2023-12-15
22
2023-12-16
23
2023-12-17
22
2023-12-18
21
2023-12-19
19
2023-12-20
20
2023-12-21
20
2023-12-22
23
2023-12-23
23
2023-12-24
23
2023-12-25
24
2023-12-26
15
2023-12-27
19
2023-12-28
27
2023-12-29
23
2023-12-30
22
2023-12-31
22
2024-01-01
22
2024-01-02
21
2024-01-03
20
2024-01-04
21
2024-01-05
18
2024-01-06
20
2024-01-07
22
2024-01-08
17
2024-01-09
17
2024-01-10
20
2024-01-11
17
2024-01-12
23
2024-01-13
20
2024-01-14
20
2024-01-15
19
2024-01-16
19
2024-01-17
24
2024-01-18
19
2024-01-19
18
2024-01-20
20
2024-01-21
18
2024-01-22
18
2024-01-23
15
2024-01-24
17
2024-01-25
17
2024-01-26
20
2024-01-27
18
2024-01-28
23
2024-01-29
19
2024-01-30
22
2024-01-31
21
2024-02-01
24
2024-02-02
20
2024-02-03
23
What happened
From 2023-03-01 (1 March 2023) the Panama Canal Authority cut the maximum authorised draft in the Neopanamax locks below its normal 15.24 m (50 feet), the first of a series of reductions caused by low water in Gatun Lake. The draft fell in steps to 13.41 m (44 feet) during June 2023, and from 2023-07-30 (30 July 2023) the authority also limited daily transit capacity to an average of 32 vessels. After the driest October in its records, the authority cut booking slots to 25, then 24, then 22 a day in December 2023, and scheduled further cuts to 20 and 18 that it later cancelled. Rain from late 2023 allowed 24 slots a day from 2024-01-16. The draft returned to 15.24 m on 2024-08-15 and 36 daily booking slots resumed for transit dates from 2024-09-01.
The canal authority announces that from 2023-03-01 the maximum authorised draft in the Neopanamax locks will be 15.09 m (49.5 feet), below the normal 15.24 m (50 feet), and says further cuts will come in steps of about 15 cm. [s1]
The authority announces drafts of 13.56 m (44.5 feet) from 2023-05-24 and 13.41 m (44.0 feet) from 2023-05-30 in the Neopanamax locks. [s2]
Rain allows the authority to postpone the 13.41 m (44.0 feet) draft to 2023-06-13, keeping 13.56 m (44.5 feet) until 2023-06-12, with 13.26 m (43.5 feet) then scheduled for 2023-06-25. [s3]
The authority sets daily transit capacity at an average of 32 vessels from 2023-07-30, split 10 in the Neopanamax locks and 22 in the Panamax locks, and says it expects to hold the draft at 13.41 m (44 feet) for the following months. [s4][s5]
After the lowest October rainfall in its records since 1950, the authority cuts booking slots to 25 for 2023-11-03 to 2023-11-06, 24 to 2023-11-30, 22 in December 2023, 20 in January 2024 and 18 from February 2024. [s6]
Better rainfall in late 2023 lets the authority run 24 transits a day instead of the planned reductions, and it says that level will hold until conditions change. [s7]
The authority restores the maximum authorised draft in the Neopanamax locks to 15.24 m (50.0 feet) with immediate effect and announces 36 daily booking slots for transit dates from 2024-09-01. [s8]
Measured effect
Transits, all vessel types, Panama Canal
Baseline (expected)
32.7 transits per day
Observed
32.1 transits per day
Change
-0.6 (-1.9%)
Standardised score
-0.1
Event window
2023-03-01 to 2023-06-28 (120 days)
Baseline window
2022-12-28 to 2023-02-21 (56 valid days)
Method
wfm-effect-1.0
Computed
2026-09-16 (16 September 2026), data revision 1:08ac67811351
Transits, all vessel types, Panama Canal, 2022-12-21 (21 December 2022) to 2024-10-13 (13 October 2024): values ranged from 15 transits per day on 2023-12-26 to 38 transits per day on 2023-03-25, with a mean of 28.2 transits per day. The latest value, for 2024-10-13, was 26 transits per day. The shaded band marks the event window, 2023-03-01 to 2024-09-01.
Transits, all vessel types, Panama Canal (transits per day). Weekly means, week starting Monday.
Date
transits per day
2022-12-19
36.2
2022-12-26
33.7
2023-01-02
32.0
2023-01-09
33.0
2023-01-16
33.3
2023-01-23
33.0
2023-01-30
31.3
2023-02-06
32.3
2023-02-13
31.6
2023-02-20
32.4
2023-02-27
33.1
2023-03-06
33.0
2023-03-13
32.4
2023-03-20
33.4
2023-03-27
33.6
2023-04-03
33.7
2023-04-10
33.4
2023-04-17
34.7
2023-04-24
33.0
2023-05-01
31.4
2023-05-08
30.0
2023-05-15
30.6
2023-05-22
32.4
2023-05-29
30.9
2023-06-05
30.6
2023-06-12
29.6
2023-06-19
30.0
2023-06-26
33.0
2023-07-03
31.6
2023-07-10
32.3
2023-07-17
29.0
2023-07-24
32.6
2023-07-31
31.4
2023-08-07
31.3
2023-08-14
30.1
2023-08-21
31.0
2023-08-28
31.1
2023-09-04
31.7
2023-09-11
31.0
2023-09-18
31.1
2023-09-25
30.1
2023-10-02
31.1
2023-10-09
30.3
2023-10-16
28.3
2023-10-23
30.9
2023-10-30
27.4
2023-11-06
24.7
2023-11-13
22.9
2023-11-20
23.1
2023-11-27
24.6
2023-12-04
21.1
2023-12-11
21.1
2023-12-18
21.3
2023-12-25
21.7
2024-01-01
20.6
2024-01-08
19.1
2024-01-15
19.6
2024-01-22
18.3
2024-01-29
21.4
2024-02-05
20.0
2024-02-12
21.3
2024-02-19
20.9
2024-02-26
20.4
2024-03-04
21.0
2024-03-11
21.7
2024-03-18
22.3
2024-03-25
22.7
2024-04-01
24.7
2024-04-08
23.3
2024-04-15
23.3
2024-04-22
23.9
2024-04-29
24.0
2024-05-06
23.1
2024-05-13
26.0
2024-05-20
24.6
2024-05-27
25.6
2024-06-03
28.6
2024-06-10
27.9
2024-06-17
28.0
2024-06-24
27.0
2024-07-01
26.0
2024-07-08
30.0
2024-07-15
29.3
2024-07-22
29.3
2024-07-29
24.9
2024-08-05
30.6
2024-08-12
30.3
2024-08-19
29.3
2024-08-26
31.9
2024-09-02
31.0
2024-09-09
31.1
2024-09-16
29.0
2024-09-23
29.6
2024-09-30
29.6
2024-10-07
27.0
This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.
Transit trade volume, Panama Canal
Baseline (expected)
916,018.7 metric tons per day
Observed
885,506.0 metric tons per day
Change
-30,512.7 (-3.3%)
Standardised score
-0.2
Event window
2023-03-01 to 2023-06-28 (120 days)
Baseline window
2022-12-28 to 2023-02-21 (56 valid days)
Method
wfm-effect-1.0
Computed
2026-10-21 (21 October 2026), data revision 4:8c421c5cf422
Transit trade volume, Panama Canal, 2022-12-21 (21 December 2022) to 2024-10-13 (13 October 2024): values ranged from 335,875 metric tons per day on 2024-01-23 to 1,304,130 metric tons per day on 2023-03-27, with a mean of 772,683.3 metric tons per day. The latest value, for 2024-10-13, was 888,635 metric tons per day. The shaded band marks the event window, 2023-03-01 to 2024-09-01.
Transit trade volume, Panama Canal (metric tons per day). Weekly means, week starting Monday.
Date
metric tons per day
2022-12-19
954,812.4
2022-12-26
980,369.3
2023-01-02
942,355.4
2023-01-09
921,688.0
2023-01-16
910,096.9
2023-01-23
920,819.7
2023-01-30
953,416.0
2023-02-06
874,303.3
2023-02-13
916,984.0
2023-02-20
829,210.0
2023-02-27
903,519.0
2023-03-06
871,725.0
2023-03-13
876,236.7
2023-03-20
930,525.3
2023-03-27
967,464.6
2023-04-03
913,699.4
2023-04-10
939,917.4
2023-04-17
1,077,401.4
2023-04-24
847,918.1
2023-05-01
882,219.7
2023-05-08
848,764.7
2023-05-15
799,663.9
2023-05-22
877,499.6
2023-05-29
874,603.4
2023-06-05
822,639.0
2023-06-12
854,129.7
2023-06-19
816,939.1
2023-06-26
853,652.6
2023-07-03
858,255.0
2023-07-10
851,216.0
2023-07-17
777,660.7
2023-07-24
841,980.9
2023-07-31
764,255.6
2023-08-07
842,727.0
2023-08-14
908,445.0
2023-08-21
784,465.4
2023-08-28
828,698.3
2023-09-04
816,202.4
2023-09-11
821,307.3
2023-09-18
897,840.7
2023-09-25
852,465.4
2023-10-02
848,884.1
2023-10-09
712,207.4
2023-10-16
775,968.0
2023-10-23
939,421.6
2023-10-30
704,576.7
2023-11-06
605,149.1
2023-11-13
527,061.0
2023-11-20
612,637.0
2023-11-27
613,212.3
2023-12-04
555,082.7
2023-12-11
530,093.1
2023-12-18
568,532.4
2023-12-25
541,029.7
2024-01-01
528,561.4
2024-01-08
532,750.0
2024-01-15
539,008.0
2024-01-22
462,024.1
2024-01-29
565,009.7
2024-02-05
516,738.4
2024-02-12
606,636.9
2024-02-19
586,550.4
2024-02-26
538,798.3
2024-03-04
581,608.4
2024-03-11
593,514.3
2024-03-18
634,886.1
2024-03-25
629,090.6
2024-04-01
687,536.6
2024-04-08
621,170.1
2024-04-15
588,258.9
2024-04-22
695,728.9
2024-04-29
728,686.9
2024-05-06
576,267.9
2024-05-13
718,930.1
2024-05-20
692,874.0
2024-05-27
711,564.3
2024-06-03
747,196.4
2024-06-10
819,714.1
2024-06-17
800,148.6
2024-06-24
763,701.7
2024-07-01
742,656.6
2024-07-08
834,004.1
2024-07-15
795,404.9
2024-07-22
812,411.9
2024-07-29
656,073.3
2024-08-05
930,931.3
2024-08-12
878,439.4
2024-08-19
836,115.9
2024-08-26
952,751.6
2024-09-02
907,385.4
2024-09-09
835,651.6
2024-09-16
781,760.0
2024-09-23
810,645.3
2024-09-30
885,498.3
2024-10-07
788,313.3
This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.
Previous computations (18)
2026-09-16, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 2:bb7aba3eed7c: observed 945,738.1 against baseline 943,159.5 metric tons per day
2026-10-06, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 3:be4262c42577: observed 945,738.2 against baseline 943,159.5 metric tons per day
2026-09-16, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 2:8c421c5cf422: observed 885,506.0 against baseline 916,018.7 metric tons per day
2026-10-06, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 3:4527b32024ff: observed 885,506.0 against baseline 916,018.7 metric tons per day
2026-09-16, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 2:02b40386c70e: observed 827,088.4 against baseline 915,899.4 metric tons per day
2026-10-06, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 3:7b1fd664c17f: observed 827,088.4 against baseline 915,899.4 metric tons per day
2026-09-16, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 2:8c22ed843b42: observed 811,130.0 against baseline 915,899.4 metric tons per day
2026-10-06, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 3:141172631507: observed 811,130.0 against baseline 915,899.4 metric tons per day
2026-09-16, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 2:1e76051cd196: observed 721,661.9 against baseline 915,899.4 metric tons per day
2026-10-06, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 3:b75643b6ebbe: observed 721,661.9 against baseline 915,899.4 metric tons per day
2026-09-16, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 2:00a83fe5a20d: observed 620,376.6 against baseline 915,899.4 metric tons per day
2026-10-06, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 3:162c7c8d79cc: observed 620,376.7 against baseline 915,899.4 metric tons per day
2026-09-16, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 2:574041347ae0: observed 652,145.0 against baseline 915,899.4 metric tons per day
2026-10-06, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 3:68dd2a5b07da: observed 652,145.1 against baseline 915,899.4 metric tons per day
2026-10-06, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 3:6845a5d62d09: observed 688,137.4 against baseline 915,899.4 metric tons per day
2026-09-16, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 2:f1d331d33435: observed 688,137.3 against baseline 915,899.4 metric tons per day
2026-10-06, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 3:62c73e6e1f61: observed 795,719.3 against baseline 915,899.4 metric tons per day
2026-09-16, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 2:eb5c99016449: observed 795,719.3 against baseline 915,899.4 metric tons per day