A thunderstorm packing high winds and torrential rains hit the area around central China’s Dongting Lake today, raising the threat to already strained dikes protecting several cities and dozens of villages.

FLOODWATERS threatening several cities and dozens of villages along central China’s vast Dongting Lake held at dangerously high levels yesterday, but could rise as heavy rain was forecast.

Flood waters in central China’s vast Dongting Lake which threaten several cities and dozens of villages remained at dangerously high levels today - and could rise in the coming days as heavy rain was forecast.

CHINESE authorities have evacuated 600,000 people from around the dangerously swollen Dongting Lake as it threatens to engulf millions more, state media said yesterday.

More than 700,000 people have been evacuated from areas threatened by flooding around a huge lake in central China, but more than eight million are at risk, officials said today.