Blown away: Tornadoes tear through central US

Washington, May 20:

tore through three central

of Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa with baseball-sized hail and wind blasts ripping roofs off homes and turning trees to matchsticks, as severe weather swept the region.

A large "violent and extremely dangerous" tornado was spotted Sunday night on the southwest side of Wichita, Kansas and a second confirmed one was seen near Edmond, Oklahoma, the National Weather Service said.

Another tornado was spotted in nearby Luther, Oklahoma, but it was not immediately clear whether that was the same twister, CNN reported

A third tornado touched down near Wellston, Oklahoma, taking out power lines and damaging several homes, the news channel said citing a video from its affiliate KFOR.

"It's tearing up everything," said the KFOR helicopter's pilot who estimated the funnel cloud to be about a half-mile wide. "Just ripping everything up in its sight."

Aerial video from KFOR and CNN affiliate KOCO showed severe damage near Wellston and near Carney, Oklahoma. Roofs were ripped from homes, branches stripped from trees and roads were filled with debris.

Tornadoes were also reported east of Dale, west of Paden, and near Prague in Oklahoma. Part of Interstate 40 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, was shut down in both directions Sunday night after a tornado touched down, overturning multiple tractor-trailers.

Still more tornadoes were spotted in Iowa, near Earlham, Huxley and east of Dallas Centre, according to the weather service.

The twisters are part of a severe weather outbreak that is sweeping through parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa and Missouri as the storms sweep east.

Baseball-sized hail, wind gusts and tornadoes are threatening to pummel parts of the central Plains and Midwest through Monday,CNN said.

Beyond the Midwest, other areas were already seeing severe weather on Sunday. In Atlanta, serious flooding was reported amid storms producing heavy rainfall.

IANS