Missouri tornado kills five in latest wave of severe weather

Another in a series of deadly storms has struck the US heartland

Relatives grieve in Glen Allen, Missouri, after losing loved ones in the tornado. Reuters

A tornado has ripped through south-eastern Missouri, killing five people and causing widespread destruction as the third in a series of deadly massive storms over the past two weeks struck the US heartland.

Forecasters are keeping a wary eye out for more extreme weather as this year's early severe storm season continues.

The storms have spawned dozens of tornadoes, mainly in the South and Midwest, that have killed at least 63 people.

Only last weekend, confirmed or suspected tornadoes in at least eight states laid waste to neighbourhoods across a broad segment of the country.

"It's just heartbreaking to see people's homes missing roofs and their homes gone," Missouri State Patrol Highway Sergeant Clark Parrott told Reuters after surveying the damage.

"We got work ahead of us, but we will get through this."

The Missouri tornado touched down about 3.30am on Wednesday and moved through a rural area of Bollinger County, about 80km south of St Louis. Trees were uprooted, homes turned into piles of splinters and one building was flipped on its side.

Five people were killed and five injured, Superintendent Eric Olson said.

Residents in the village of Glen Allen said several of the victims were members of a family who lived in a trailer beside a state highway.

The damage was concentrated around Glen Allen and the small rural community of Grassy, which are separated by a hunting area, said Bollinger County Sheriff Casey Graham in a Facebook post. He did not immediately release the victims’ names.

AP contributed to this report