China's largest freshwater lake Poyang Lake sees sharp drop in water level, enters dry season early

China's largest freshwater lake, Poyang Lake, has seen its water level drop rapidly in recent days, plunging 2.47 meters in a week and entering the dry season 42 days earlier than usual. According to data from the Jiangxi Provincial Hydrological Monitoring Center, at 16:00 on September 20, the water level at Xingzi Station, a landmark hydrological station on Poyang Lake, fell below the 12-meter low-water mark. As of 8:00 on September 29, the water level at Xingzi Station stood at 10.26 meters, and the water level is expected to continue declining.