Tornadoes rip through central US while extreme heat and humidity creep into the north-east

Some of the worst damage was in areas south of Chicago, where at least three tornadoes destroyed several homes and tore down trees and power poles.

In Merrillville, Indiana, police told residents to take emergency cover as a large column of wind swept through and pulled the roof from a high school. Residents emerged to roads blocked by dozens of fallen trees.

The nearby manufacturing and farm city of Streator set up a family-reunification center for displaced residents in its city hall as officials took stock of the major damage.

Tara Bedei, the city’s mayor, said there were no reported deaths. “We are incredibly grateful for the safety of our residents and the quick action of emergency personnel,” she said in a statement.

Strong storms delayed or halted flights at airports in some cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia and New York on Thursday.

Parts of the north-east and mid-Atlantic also strained under high heat and humidity.

The tornadoes came after severe storms swept through the midwest on Wednesday, knocking out power, damaging buildings and canceling flights.

In Des Moines, Iowa, a 54-year-old man died at a homeless encampment in a park after being hit by a tree that “broke apart and fell during strong storms”, police said in a statement. There were no immediate reports of other deaths or injuries from the storms.

In Chicago, a baseball series finale between the White Sox and the Atlanta Braves was postponed due to rain and rescheduled for August.

AccuWeather said strong thunderstorms crossed into other eastern states on Thursday, and there were reports of wind damage from northern Virginia and West Virginia, through New York and east to Connecticut.

The weather outlet said another round of disruptive thunderstorms was expected on Friday afternoon and evening from parts of North Carolina to much of New York state and a portion of New England.

Temperatures in the mid-90s fahrenheit (mid-30s celsius) were expected, which could feel like 100F or higher with humidity, the National Weather Service said.

Meanwhile, a new round of severe weather was forming in the midwest that was predicted to affect Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois and southern Wisconsin on Saturday, AccuWeather said.

This week’s severe weather coincides with the arrival of El Niño, a phenomenon that supercharges extreme weather events and pushes global temperatures to record heights.

This year’s El Niño could intensify to historic levels in the fall, US officials said on Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed reporting