The Panama Canal is planning further reductions to maritime traffic after already cutting daily transits because of the El Nino weather pattern, the canal's administrator said Monday. Canal authorities reduced daily transits from 36 to 32 on September 4 to preserve water. The canal cannot operate without the water used to power its locks, which lift and lower ships at the start and end of their crossing. Panama has declared a nationwide emergency over El Nino, a phenomenon developing over the Pacific Ocean that is affecting weather patterns worldwide and pushing up global temperatures. This year's El Nino is expected to be the strongest since record-keeping began four decades ago. The conditions have caused a severe drought in Central America, posing problems for the interoceanic canal. About 5% of global trade passes through the waterway.