Advisory to Shipping No. A-29-2026: Additional Measures to Address Reduced Precipitation in the Canal Watershed

Advisory to Shipping No. A-29-2026 establishes temporary preventive measures in response to reduced rainfall and watershed inflows in the Panama Canal watershed and the projected severity of the 2026-2027 El Niño event. The document reports that cumulative rainfall from May through August 2026 was 34 percent below the historical average and watershed inflows were 44 percent below average. Effective August 21, 2026, for booking dates beginning September 4, it reduces daily availability to nine slots at the Neopanamax Locks and twenty-five slots at the Panamax Locks. Effective September 1, for booking dates beginning September 15, Panamax availability is reduced to twenty-three daily slots. The advisory also postpones the 14.63-meter maximum authorized draft until September 2 and the 14.48-meter adjustment until October 1 at the Neopanamax Locks. The measures seek to maintain service reliability, safeguard water resources for human consumption, and provide timely information for transit planning and supply-chain decisions.