Study says El Nino, not climate change, was key driver of low rainfall that snarled Panama Canal

By SUMAN NAISHADHAM
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A study says the climate phenomenon known as El Nino and not climate change was a key driver in low rainfall that disrupted shipping at the Panama Canal last year. El Nino refers to the natural warming of the central Pacific that changes weather worldwide. World Weather Attribution group scientists found that it doubled the likelihood of the low rain that Panama received during last year’s rainy season. Scientists concluded that human-caused climate change was not a primary driver of the unusually dry monsoon season. They did so by comparing the rainfall to climate models that simulate weather patterns with current and past levels of global warming.