China's second largest freshwater lake, Dongting Lake in central-southern Hunan province, is on flood alert after the water level reached the 31-meter mark.

The water level, which hit the alarm level Sunday night, has been rising slowly but steadily, according to the Qilishan hydrological station in charge of Dongting Lake hydrological observation.

The Dongting Lake area is expected to have showers, thundershowers or torrential rains in the next few days, meteorological data showed.

Meanwhile, the water level in the Yangtze River is also growing, accelerating the rise of Dongting Lake water, local water conservancy officials said.

Dongting Lake, one of the leading tributaries of the Yangtze River in its middle reaches, started flood alert earlier last year, on June 23.

The area around the lake is a major grain production base.

(Xinhua News Agency July 7, 2003)