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.

AS green floodwaters rose into homes beside a huge, rain-swollen lake in central China, yesterday, 800,000 workers were racing to shore up dykes that protect six Chinese cities and dozens of villages.

China has mobilised almost a million people to shore up dykes that protect six cities and dozens of villages from a huge, rain-swollen lake.