More severe weather slams the US

Tornadoes rip through the southern states of Mississippi and Alabama

Hot on the heals of Friday’s immense snowstorm, another powerful weather system has raged across North America.

In the north, the system brought heavy snow, particularly to the eastern Dakotas and western Minnesota. Some towns reported over 50cm (20 inches) of snow by the time the system had cleared on Monday.

In the south, the weather was far more destructive. The unseasonably warm and humid air blowing up from the Gulf of Mexico slammed into the cold air from the north triggering a series of damaging tornadoes.

A total of 12 tornadoes were reported in a region that stretched from southern Mississippi to southwestern Alabama, although this number still has to be confirmed by the Storm Prediction Centre at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA).

At least 82 people were injured after tornadoes ripped through states of Mississippi and Alabama [GALLO/GETTY]

http://www.aljazeera.com/weather/2013/02/2013212124150402900.html