Source: BBC

A deadly tornado has swept through a northern Texas town, killing three people and injuring dozens more.

Perryton, which is near the Oklahoma border, appears to be at the centre of an intense storm system that has carved its way through the South.

Surrounding areas are sending emergencies crews to assist the town, home to about 8,000 people.

At least 30 mobile homes took a “direct hit” from the tornado and were damaged or destroyed, said a local fire chief.

A further 75 people were taken to hospital, added Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher.

A spokesperson for Ochiltree General Hospital told ABC News they are operating on generators amid widespread power outages.

The National Weather Service (NWS) reported the tornado touched down around 17:00 local time (23:00 BST) on Thursday.

It reported a total of seven tornado reports but said the risk of further severe storms over the next few days will diminish.

On Friday, storms across parts of Oklahoma and Kansas, as well as in parts of Arkansas, Mississippi and west Florida could bring large hail, damaging winds gusts and a few tornadoes.

By Saturday, that risk will be mainly centred over the Southern Plains, before lessening further into Sunday.

Roughly 247,000 customers were without electricity in Texas and Oklahoma as of Friday morning, according to the Poweroutage.us website.

Some 140,000 more were in the dark in Louisiana and 15,000 in Florida.

The mayor of Eufaula, Alabama, told local media on Thursday that a tornado carved a nearly four-mile path through town, tearing down at least one building and toppling 40 trees.

This was the fourth time a twister hit the small town in as many years, the mayor said.

In neighbouring Georgia, two people narrowly escaped a house that collapsed during storms in the south-west of the state, the town’s sheriff was quoted as saying by local media.

Trees and downed power lines were also reported in other parts of the state.

Meanwhile on Thursday more than 33 million people in Texas, Florida and Louisiana were under heat advisories, according to the NWS.