A deadly tornado outbreak ripped through Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi overnight Friday, leaving destruction, power outages and tragic loss in its wake.

A deadly tornado outbreak ripped through the Midwest and South over the weekend, leaving destruction, power outages and tragic loss in its wake.

Tornadoes hit the US Midwest and Southeast overnight, killing three in Missouri and causing widespread damage. Forecasters warn of a “high risk” threat for Mississippi and Alabama as storms intensify.

The weather cut a swathe of destruction across an area of the country that is home to more than 100 million people.

Millions of Americans across the country are on alert for a severe weather outbreak as violent, long-track tornadoes with damaging winds of up to 80 mph and large hail are expected across the Midwest and South with the cross-country storm moving east.