Tornadoes strike US midwest

America's midwest has suffered a disastrous start to 2011 with bad weather bringing tornadoes and major damage.

Missouri, Arkansas and Illinois have been hit with at least six people dead as a result of the high winds.

A 21-year-old woman and her 64-year-old grandmother died at a farm in Lecoma, in south-central Missouri. Another woman died north of Rolla.

In Arkansas, three people died when a tornado touched down just before sunrise in the hamlet of Cincinnati. An elderly man and his wife died in their home and a 78-year-old man was killed after being caught by the storm while milking cows.

The tornadoes have come about as a result of extreme temperature changes.

Forecasters warn more bad weather could be on its way as residents try to clear the damage which has already been caused.