Dry-weather is also affecting the Panama Canal, where water levels in the largest of the freshwater lakes that feed its locks have fallen. (Photo by Michael McDonald)
El Niño’s return has countries in Central America on high alert as dry weather conditions are expected to depress crop yields, kill livestock, and shrink water reservoirs, creating socioeconomic pressures that could exacerbate emigration from the region. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in June that the El Niño weather pattern had begun to form, triggered by higher-than-average sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. There is a 90% chance of the phenomenon extending into 2024 in the northern hemisphere, according to the institute. El Niño has already caused drier-than-average conditions throughout Central America this year. In most countries in the region, the rainy season started later than usual, in mid-May instead of April, and experts forecast the dry season could begin in mid-November, sooner than normal. The impact has already been felt by farmers, energy producers and even shippers. “The... [Log in to read more]
