Dozens of people have died and more injured after tornadoes tore through parts of the central United States.

Dramatic footage from several states, including Missouri and Colorado, showed a trail of destruction through towns in the path of the tornadoes.

Residents were left to pick through the remains of their destroyed homes as officials warned the death toll could rise.

The tornadoes struck an area of the US generally referred to as “Tornado Alley”, where the weather events are most frequent, mostly in May and June.