The maximum ship draft allowed through the canal will be cut to 11.89 meters (39 feet) from the usual 12 meters, the Panama Canal Authoritiy said on Friday.

The draft of a ship is the depth to which it sits in the water, and varies according to the weight carried by the vessel.

The restrictions, due to take effect on September 8, will affect some five to six of the 36 ships that use the waterway daily, the Authority said, adding that more limits could be introduced on September 16 if weather conditions did not improve.

El Nino strikes again

The measures are being imposed because water levels in the lakes that feed the canal have fallen in dry conditions caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon. Canal administrator Jorge Quijano said the month of June and the first half of July had been the driest period in 102 years.

The last time such restrictions were introduced was in March 1998, when there were particularly strong El Nino effects.

The Panama Canal, 77 kilometers (48 miles) in length, is an important transport link between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

tj/jlw (AP, AFP)