The Panama Canal re-opened yesterday (Thursday) following a closure that lasted 17 hours. Heavy rains and flooding caused the canal to close for the first time since 1989 and only the third such occasion in its 96-year history.

Despite valiant efforts to restore normal operations, the Panama Canal Authority (PCA) faces a massive backlog of ships. Local press reports suggested that as many as 60 vessels would have built up by today waiting to transit the canal.

The PCA confirmed that the canal had returned to normal operations early Thursday morning. 'The temporary suspension was due to weather conditions in Panama City and along the canal watershed,' said administrator and ceo Alberto Alemn Zubieta. He explained that these extraordinary measures were taken to guarantee a safe transit through the waterway.

The Gatun and Alhajuela Lakes reached historic levels due to heavy rains on the Alhajuela watershed, which required the opening of the Gatun and Madden floodgates.

The north coast of South America and parts of Central America have experienced some of the heaviest rainfall in living memory. Landslides in Columbia and Venezuela have demolished homes and led to dozens of fatalities.

Between 13,000 and 14,000 ships pass through the canal every year, about 36 per day, representing roughly 5% of world trade, according to the canal authority.

The last time the canal closed was during the US invasion of the Central American republic in December 1989, to oust president Manuel Noriega.