Multiple tornadoes have lashed large parts of the southern and midwestern US, flattening homes and leaving at least 40 people dead, officials said. 

The death toll could rise further as a cold front moves toward the East Coast, bringing fierce winds.

Tornado watches were in effect for parts of Florida, Georgia and five other states until Sunday afternoon. Residents in high-risk areas were advised to shelter in buildings with underground protection.

More than 40 twisters have been recorded since the storms began on Friday. 

At least 150,000 households were without power on Sunday, according to the website PowerOutage.

At least 12 dead in Missouri

Authorities said the most fatalities were recorded in Missouri, where at least 12 people were killed and dozens were injured. 

The state's police reported that "tornadoes, thunderstorms and large hail" brought down power lines and trees and caused extensive damage to properties.

Eight people died in Kansas as more than 50 vehicles crashed into each other due to low visibility during a "severe dust storm," local police said. Another four people were killed in similar dust storm-linked road accidents further down south in Texas, authorities said.

At least two people died in Alabama, the state's governor said.

Tornadoes also hit Illinois and Mississippi, where six deaths were reported. 

Three people also died in the state of Arkansas.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on X she had declared an emergency and released $250,000 (€228,000) in disaster recovery funds.

Georgia's governor, Brian Kemp, also declared a state of emergency and urged residents to prepare.

Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah