Tornadoes cause further devastation in Oklahoma

The US region hit by a deadly tornado less than two weeks ago is being slammed again. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says a mother and baby were killed, and emergency officials said reports of injuries were “widespread”.

The Oklahoma medical examiner's office later said that five people were killed, and about 50 were hurt, five critically.

Tornadoes hit Oklahoma City during the evening rush hour, smashing vehicles along a major highway, and the highway patrol said a few motorists were missing.

Highway Patrol Trooper Betsy Randolph said troopers found the bodies of the woman and baby near a vehicle along Interstate 40 west of the city.

High winds were forecast for Moore, the suburb where a top-of-the-scale tornado killed 24 on May 20.

But meteorologists said the fury of the latest storm did not match that of the one that struck Moore.

“Not even close,” Rick Smith, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said in a text message relayed by the Storm Prediction Centre.

Violent weather also moved through the St. Louis area ripping the roof off a suburban casino.

Passengers at Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport were directed into underground tunnels, and inbound and outbound flights were cancelled.

Television cameras showed debris falling from the sky, and forecasters warned of a “particularly dangerous situation”.

The region is in part of the Midwest US known as Tornado Alley. The US averages more than 1,200 tornadoes a year and most are relatively small.

Floodwaters up to 4 feet deep hampered Oklahoma City rescue attempts.

“We’re scrambling around,” said Lara O’Leary, a spokeswoman for the local ambulance agency. “There is very low visibility with the heavy rain … so we’re having trouble getting around.

“The damage is very, very widespread.”