ISTANBUL

China's largest freshwater lake has squeezed to its smallest size in nearly a decade as the water level has gone down in the country's eastern Jiangxi province, said officials.

The local authorities had to issue a blue alert for water supply after Poyang Lake recorded its lowest level in nearly a decade.

Jiangxi Provincial Hydrology Monitoring Center recorded the water level once again falling below eight meters in the lake, since September 2022.

According to National Satellite Meteorological Center, China's FY-3D meteorological satellite showed that on Feb. 27, the water area of Poyang Lake was 1,044 square kilometers (403 square miles), down more than 21.8% from the average level for the same period and the lowest recorded level in nearly a decade.

“Although the precipitation in February increased significantly compared with that in January, the precipitation is still limited compared with the flood season,” Shi Yan, a weather analyst at China Weather Net, told the Chinese daily Global Times.

Shi added: “Precipitation is not a decisive factor affecting the water level of Poyang Lake, as it's also affected by upstream factors.”

The water level of Poyang Lake is expected to “continue to fall,” the hydrological center said as the meteorological authorities predicted that “temperatures in most areas of Jiangxi will remain high, and precipitation will be under that of the same period of the year.”