Seven killed as tornadoes rip through US states

At least seven people have been killed after thunderstorms and tornadoes swept through several US states – with forecasters warning record rainfall could soon follow in some regions, Sky News reports.

A man and his teenage daughter, whose home was destroyed in western Tennessee, were among the dead, along with a man whose pickup truck struck downed powerlines in Indiana.

Fatalities were also reported in Missouri as the first in a series of forecast storms ripped across the country on Wednesday and early Thursday.

Thousands of properties have been left without power, with some homes also destroyed.

Some debris was launched nearly five miles (8km) above the ground in Arkansas.

In Lake City, Arkansas, a tornado took the roofs off homes, demolished brick walls and tossed cars into trees.

Worse may be to come for parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky, the Weather Prediction Centre in Maryland said.

A stretch of the Mississippi River around Memphis, where more than 1.3 million people live, is set to bear the brunt.

In total, more than 90 million people have been at risk of severe weather – from Texas to Minnesota and Maine, according to the Oklahoma-based Storm Prediction Centre.

Prolonged heavy rains are forecast for the central US, and will bring "significant, life-threatening flash flooding" each day, the National Weather Service warned.

The sustained downpour could bring more than a foot (30cm) of rain over the next four days, described by the weather service as a "once in a generation to once in a lifetime" event.

It warned that "historic rainfall totals and impacts are possible."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it was ready to distribute food, water, cots, generators, and meals.