An ‘extremely dangerous’ tornado is ripping through Alabama, with residents being told to take shelter immediately as 140pmh winds batter the state.
National Weather Service officials say that they have received dozens of damage reports as the storm continues to move through the state.
Forecasters said a large and destructive tornado was located near Vida Junction, or 12 miles northwest of Prattville, moving to the northeast at 55 mph and 140mph at the eye of the tornado.
Winds of up to 70mph are currently hitting Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee as the storm moves southeast, with thunderstorms developing.
The worst of the storms hit between 8am and noon, with those in Bibb, Chilton, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Shelby, Sumter, Tuscaloosa and Perry under a tornado warning.
It is currently not tornado season, which stretches from March to May each year, and there is an increased risk of storms in November and December.
Streets of Alabama’s Morgan County have been littered with debris and downed power lines, with 10 to 15 people injured in the killer storms.
Golf-ball sized hail was reported across the counties, with downed trees and structural damage littering the state.
Source of data and images: dailymail