ahead

The El Nino weather phenomenon is expected to increase the likelihood of drought and excess heat across the region.

The Panama Canal is expected to limit traffic starting in early September, as it prepares for lower water levels due to the El Nino weather phenomenon.

On Thursday, the Panama Canal Authority, the body that oversees the waterway, announced that daily transit caps would be set to address concerns about the drier weather conditions ahead.

Under the new measures, 34 vessels will be permitted to sail through the canal as of September 4. A further reduction will start on September 15, when the limit will be 32 ships.

The travel restrictions are a reversal for the Panama Canal Authority. Officials told the news service Reuters in May that they had no plans to limit crossings this year, citing water conservation measures imposed last year.

The canal, which handles about 5 percent of global maritime trade, usually has capacity to accommodate about 40 vessels per day.  Since June, it has seen a daily average of 35 transits.

Any significant decrease in travel through the canal is likely to translate into slower international shipping for industries that rely on the waterway. That, in turn, could increase costs.

A severe drought in 2023, for instance, cut traffic through the Panama Canal by roughly 36 percent, leading to disruptions in global supply chains.

The declining water levels that year were also attributed to El Nino, as well as climate change accelerated by human activities.

El Nino is a naturally occurring weather phenomenon that takes place every two to seven years, when the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean is warmer than usual.

The resulting weather patterns can have an impact across the region and even globally, putting some areas at risk of excessive heat and drought, while others suffer from flooding

Scientists expect a particularly strong El Nino in the coming months, potentially among the strongest on record. That could lead to an increase in cases of extreme weather events.

Panama Canal authorities have previously imposed vessel limits in order to conserve water.

The canal relies on a lock system that lifts and lowers vessels as they travel from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea, and vice versa.

But the canal is fed, in part, by freshwater from nearby lakes and reservoirs, most notably Gatun Lake.

Panamanians rely on that lake as well to supply drinking water to nearby cities, including the capital Panama City, putting additional strain on the waterway during times of drought.

Witney Carson will be dancing for two on the upcoming season of “Dancing With the Stars.”

The professional ballroom dancer revealed her pregnancy Monday on “Good Morning America,” stating that although she’s excited for the experience, it is also “daunting.”

“I’ve never been this far along pregnant and competing on ‘Dancing With the Stars,’” said Carson. “I don’t know if it’s ever been done. So you guys will definitely see a big bump.”

The competitive dancer has two boys — 5-year-old Leo and 3-year-old Jet — with husband Carson McAllister. The two have been married since 2016.

The 32-year-old has competed on 15 seasons of the popular reality dance show. Last year, she took home the top prize alongside Australian conservationist Robert Irwin; in 2014, she took home her first Mirrorball Trophy alongside actor Alfonso Ribeiro.

In the coming season, Carson also revealed that she will hit the dance floor with comedian Guillermo Rodriguez, the Mexican talk show personality best known as a sidekick to Jimmy Kimmel on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

“It wasn’t on my bingo card to compete on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ and be four months pregnant, but I think that it’s a beautiful thing,” said Carson on “GMA.” “I want to feel empowered. I want to see what my body can do. And hopefully Guillermo could be right there beside me and we can work as a team.”

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, the dancer revealed that she was “extremely sick” in her first trimester and “dropped out of things” that she had been contracted to participate in, but after discussing the matter with her husband as well as executive producer Deena Katz, she decided to continue with the competition.

Carson was first in the spotlight in 2012 during the ninth season of the Fox series “So You Think You Can Dance,” then joined the “Dancing With the Stars” troupe in 2013 for the 16th season. This summer, she made a special appearance as a guest judge on the spinoff series “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro,” where 12 up-and-coming dancers compete for a pro-dancer spot on the popular main series.

Season 35 of “Dancing With the Stars” will premiere with a two-night episode on Sept. 15 and 16.