NANCHANG - China's largest freshwater lake has nearly tripling in size due to persistent heavy rains over the past two months, according to local authorities.

As of 8 am Wednesday, the water level of Poyang Lake, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, stood at 17.5 meters, 1.5 meters lower than the flood warning level, according to monitoring data from the provincial hydrology bureau.

The lake's surface area has risen to 3,260 square kilometers, nearly three times its size before the flood season starting from April.

The local meteorological authorities predicted the torrential rain would continue over the five days, which is likely to push the lake's water level to 18.5 meters.

According to statistics from the provincial civil affairs department, downpour over the past week has affected 831,000 people in 48 counties, with two killed by lightning.

The disaster has forced the relocation of 43,000 residents as it has toppled homes of 677 families and damaged 71,400 hectares of farmland, causing direct economic loss of 610 million yuan (99.7 million US dollars).