CHENGDU, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- A rainstorm has stranded about 8,000 passengers at an airport in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Heavy rain in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, forced the closure of Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport twice on Wednesday, with 31 inbound flights forced to land at alternate airports and another 11 canceled. A total of 144 flights were delayed, according to the airport authority.

The extreme weather started at around 1:40 p.m., forcing the airport to close temporarily about half an hour later. Normal operations resumed around 3:16 p.m., but were halted again as the rain continued.

More flights expected to be delayed.