BEIJING, July 21 -- The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has sent a work team to south China's Hainan Province as the fourth typhoon of this year Prapiroon approached.

Prapiroon is expected to make landfall on Hainan on Sunday night, bringing strong winds and heavy rains to the island province and the Beibu Gulf.

At a joint work conference Sunday, the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) urged local governments to effectively respond to the typhoon and ensure that offshore workers are transferred and ships return to the port for shelter.

Authorities maintained the Level-IV emergency response for Hainan, one of the ten provincial regions facing high typhoon and flooding risks currently.