NAKHON SAWAN: Bueng Boraphet, the country's largest freshwater lake, has overflowed from the huge volume of runoff generated by Storm Dianmu last week.

Wiwat Prarom, fishery chief of Nakhon Sawan, said on Tuesday the storm ended the drought which had dried out much of the lake. It now held 338.4 million cubic metres of water, way above its normal capacity of 180 million cubic metres.

The lake now covered 187,365 rai, compared with its normal boundary of 132,737 rai.

The level of the lake was continuing to rise because it was receiving water from Phaisali, Nong Bua and Tha Tako districts.

Officials had closed a sluice gate in the Bueng Boraphet Canal to block the flow from the Nan River.

They were also draining water from the lake into the Chao Phraya River to help people living near the lake, Mr Wiwat said.