In 2015, Hainan was hit by the worst drought since it began meteorological records in 1959. The prolonged severe drought which has affected 30 percent of the tropical island, caused drinking water shortage for 146,800 people and 28,500 large livestock, and 119 small reservoirs to dry up. Sanya, a popular tropical tourist destination, was also hit by the drought. The city's precipitation since May was 90 percent less than normal years.