Storms hit southern USA spawning tornadoes
A line of severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and even snow hit southern USA on Thursday, sparking widespread floods and destroying dozens of houses. The line of storms stretched from Colorado and Nebraska in the Midwest, where it brought snow, to Texas in the South where high winds battered the region.
The storm originated over the Southern Plains earlier in the week, as warm air from the Gulf met colder air from the north. Where the air masses collided, the temperature difference sparked a line of thunderstorms and tornadoes across parts of southern USA.
In Missouri, between 3 and 4 inches of rain (76-102mm) fell in just a few hours, resulting in widespread flash floods. In the north west of Texas, winds of up to 70mph (113kph) were recorded as the storms passed through. The heavy rain and hail also hit Arkansas which is still reeling from three weeks of widespread flooding.
The storm is forecast to swing eastwards over the weekend, bringing heavy rain and storms to many eastern states, which could cause some disruption at the US Masters.
