Death toll rises to 34 as severe storms continue battering US

At least 34 people died as of Saturday night as dozens of violent tornadoes, blinding dust storms and gust-driven wildfires continue battering the central and southern United States on Saturday.

More than 40 tornadoes hit eight US states over the past 24 hours, while severe weather threat continues in southern and southeastern areas in the country, ABC News reported.

In the southern state of Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves announced on Saturday that six people died in three counties and three more people were missing.

"It appears that multiple tornadoes moved through our county from the southwest to the northeast, causing significant damage to multiple areas," said Tylertown Police Chief Jordan Hill.

Up to 19 tornadoes may have passed through the midwest state of Missouri, killing at least 11 people in four counties while causing widespread havoc, said Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe's office. Later in the day, local media reported the death toll in the state rose to 12 due to tornado strikes.

In Arkansas, late-night storms left three dead and nearly 30 injured, local authorities said.

Two blinding massive dust storms, one in Kansas and the other in Texas, led to dozens of vehicle pileups, killing 12 people in total, local media reported on Saturday.

The destructive storms have fuelled more than 100 wildfires in several central states, CBS News reported.

In Oklahoma, one person died from wildfire smoke, Governor Kevin Stitt said at a press conference.

As of Saturday morning, more than 170,000 acres have burned with nearly 300 homes and buildings damaged as more than 130 blazes were reported across 44 counties in Oklahoma, Stitt said.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced a state of emergency on Saturday.

"This storm will hit at the worst possible time, as people are heading to or already in bed. Be prepared ahead of time and remain weather aware as long as this system is in the state," Kemp said in a statement.

Extreme weather conditions could impact more than 100 million people across the country, the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center warned on Saturday. The center has issued a 5 out of 5 "high risk" of severe weather for Saturday.

"A tornado outbreak is expected across the central Gulf Coast States and Deep South into the Tennessee Valley. Numerous significant tornadoes, some of which should be long-track and potentially violent, are expected this afternoon and evening," said the center.

Meteorologists predicted that over the weekend, wind speeds could reach 80 mph (130 kph) from the US-Canada border down to Texas. The North is expected to face blizzards, while the South and Southeast could experience severe tornadoes, large hail and wildfires. Heavy rainfall on the East Coast may also lead to flooding.