…Tornadoes in Oklahoma destroyed several homes and knocked down power lines on Sunday
A winter storm that brought unprecedented snow to southern California has moved eastward, bringing with it tornadoes and powerful winds.
Residents in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Texas were asked to seek shelter as severe weather makes its way to the region through Monday.
There were reports of damaged homes and knocked down power lines, leaving thousands without power.
At least 12 people have been reported injured as a result of the storm.
Severe weather is expected to continue to the upper Midwest later in the week.
Californians have already faced mass power outages, flooding and the closures of both motorways and beaches as the storm swept the US state.
More than 120,000 people – many of them in the Los Angeles area – lost electricity after days of fierce winds.
As of Monday, around 46,500 homes in California remain without power. An additional 28,300 were without power in Texas and Oklahoma.
In Oklahoma, seven tornadoes were reported to have hit the state late on Sunday. Footage emerged showing overturned cars and homes with collapsed roofs due to the strong winds. Officials reported at least 12 weather-related injuries.
A wind speed of 114 mph (183 km/h) was recorded in northern Texas near the border with Oklahoma – the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane.
Severe weather is expected to continue through Monday, said the National Weather Service, which forecasted a “deep mid-latitude cyclone” to hit portions of the Midwest, bringing with it showers and thunderstorms.
The National Weather Service and experts have said that the weather pattern likely qualifies as a “derecho”, a rare weather pattern characterised by extremely strong straight-line winds.
Parts of Michigan, where more than 147,000 people remain without power after a winter storm last week, are also expected to be hit again with yet another storm.
Last week’s severe weather led to record-high temperatures in parts of the east, while California grappled with rare snow and one of the strongest storms to ever hit the state.
The storm shut down the north-south motorway on the West Coast, Interstate 5. It reopened on Sunday.
Yosemite National Park, however, will remain closed until Wednesday because of severe winter conditions.
On Saturday, all beaches were closed for several hours due to lightning strikes in LA County, the authorities said.
Flights have also been cancelled and delayed in airports including O’Hare and Midway in Chicago and Dallas – Fort Worth.
Residents of the state capital of Sacramento have been warned to avoid travel from Sunday to Wednesday with rain and snow starting up again.
In Oregon, California’s northern neighbour, a state of emergency was declared in one county as a precaution. The authorities said this would ensure the necessary resources and equipment could be quickly allocated if later requested.
So far there have been no reports of any storm-related deaths or serious injuries.
Earlier this week, snowflakes were seen falling in Los Angeles, a city famed for its palm trees and sun-kissed boulevards.
Local residents were seen marvelling at the unfamiliar sight of a snow flurry around the Hollywood sign on Mount Lee.
