Humidity has the power to wreak untold havoc on certain cargo types.
Fertilizers, for instance, are hygroscopic, meaning they absorb moisture once humidity reaches a certain level. This often leads to slow unloading, increased reliance on trimming equipment, and greater safety risks for stevedores.
In severe cases, cargoes can clump or cake together, requiring excavators to break them apart, further delaying operations and risking equipment damage.
Protecting cargoes from such risks means that delays at port are a frequent occurrence in areas of high humidity.
Underestimating or overlooking the impact of humidity related port delays can quickly eat into margins.
Reducing risk exposure requires a good understanding of the realistic efficiency and delays at various terminals where humidity is a recurring cause of delays so that the appropriate buffers can be built into P&L calculations.
What the team look at
The Marcura Intelligence team analysed 1,300+ port calls delayed by humidity. It identifies ports where moisture regularly disrupts cargo operations, often significant financial consequences.
Download the complete study for the full analysis, including humidity thresholds, delay patterns, and detailed port-by-port risk assessments.
What the data showed
Detailed analysis highlighted the Middle East and North Africa as the hot spots (no pun intended) for humidity related delays at port.
In some countries across the region, more than 70% of fertilizer loading operations suffer from humidity related delays. In other ports, it’s closer to 100%.
Delays are typically 1-4 days, but in extreme cases humidity can lead to delays of up to 17 days.
The following provides a snapshot of the frequency of delays in key ports and the average delay when humidity becomes an issue.
