Massive downpours with strong winds battered the island province of Hainan on Friday morning as the tropical storm Nock-ten approached, said an authority with the provincial communication bureau.

Massive downpours with strong winds battered the island province of Hainan on Friday morning as the tropical storm Nock-ten approached. [people.com.cn]?

The downpours have stopped all shipping services across the Qiongzhou Strait, which separates Guangdong Province from the island, as well as stopped some of the railway services, he added.

Nock-Ten, which has killed at least 31 people in the Philippines, is the eighth storm and the most powerful one to hit China so far this year.

The Haikou maritime affairs office has already sent warning messages to all shipping and harbor companies to return all of their boats and staff to port and keep alert of Nock-ten.

At the airport, 14 flights have been canceled due to weather conditions, but for cleared flights there were no delays as of 10:40 a.m. Friday morning, said a statement released by the Haikou Meilan International Airport.

China's meteorological authority said Friday that heavy rains will hit parts of the Sichuan Basin, as well as areas of north China and southern coastal regions over the next three days.

The southern coastal areas of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan will see massive downpours, as the tropical storm Nock-Ten is expected to land on Friday afternoon or evening, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.