NANNING - Typhoon Nesat, the strongest typhoon to hit China this year, has been bringing strong winds and heavy rains to South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, the region's flood control headquarters said on Friday.

The southern and western regions of Guangxi have experienced heavy rains, with some areas receiving up to 170 mm of precipitation, according to a local weather station.

A total of 11,484 fishing boats have been called back to shore and 3,000 schools have suspended classes, local authorities said.

The typhoon entered Beibu Gulf around 10 pm Thursday, weakening to a tropical storm before hitting the shores of Guangxi around 5 am Friday, the weather station said.

The storm is continuing to move northwest at 15 km per hour, the station said.

The typhoon has also brought rainstorms and high waves to South China's Guangdong province, affecting large areas of farmland and damaging seawalls, according to the Guangdong provincial flood control headquarters.

Residents living near the seawalls have already been evacuated and no deaths have been reported, according to the headquarters.

Transportation and electricity have been hampered by the rainstorms as well, local authorities said. They also warned of potential mudslides and flooding in Guangxi and Guangdong.

The typhoon previously hit the city of Wenchang in South China's island province of Hainan at 2:30 pm. Thursday after passing through the Philippines, where it claimed at least 35 lives.