Drought That Snarled Panama Canal Was Linked to El Niรฑo, Study Finds NYT: Science Raymond Zhong 1 May 2024 at 01:01 The low water levels that choked cargo traffic were more closely tied to the natural climate cycle than to human-caused warming, a team of scientists has concluded. ยฉ Nathalia Angarita for The New York TimesA cargo ship in the Panama Canal in September. Officials last year had to slash the number of vessels allowed through.