US tornadoes kill at least 35

A furious storm system that kicked up tornadoes, flash floods and hail stones as big as grapefruits has now claimed at least 35 lives across the southern US.

Emergency crews searched for victims in hard-hit swathes of North Carolina, where 62 tornadoes were reported from the worst spring storm in two decades to hit the state. Authorities warned the death toll was likely to rise further today as searchers probed shattered homes and businesses.