At least 31 dead as tornadoes tear through southern US

At least 31 people have died in the US - including 12 in Missouri alone - after deadly tornadoes tore through several south-eastern states, flipping cars and flattening homes, reports reuters.

In Kansas, at least eight people died after more than 55 vehicles were involved in a crash due to a dust storm.

More than 170,000 properties were without power across five states - including Michigan Missouri and Illinois - on Saturday evening, according to tracker PowerOutage.

Further severe weather is expected for the region, with tornado watches issued across eastern Louisiana, western Georgia, central Tennessee and the western Florida Panhandle.

Flash flooding and flood warnings have also been issued in central Mississippi, eastern Louisiana and western Tennessee; as well as parts of Alabama and Arkansas, as severe weather continues to track across the south-east.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has said these flash floods could prove deadly.

Multiple tornado warnings were also issued across Alabama on Saturday night._Agencies.