Typhoon to hit China's Hainan, seen easing drought

BEIJING - The first typhoon of the year to hit China is expected to make landfall on or near the southern island of Hainan on Monday, which should help ease a severe drought on the tourist centre and rubber producer, state news agency Xinhua said.

Typhoon Kujira will sweep over the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea before hitting land somewhere between Wanning on Hainan and Zhanjiang in the neighbouring province of Guangdong, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall, Xinhua said late on Sunday.

It is expected to weakened gradually after reaching land, the report added.

But it should help ease Hainan's worst drought in more than half a century, Xinhua said, which has affected about one-third of the island, a place China likes to style its answer to Hawaii or Phuket.