It’s an anxious time for those across America as dozens of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms rattle eastwards.

Buildings have been flattened, people trapped and hail the size of baseballs have pounded big cities such as Memphis, a city of around 1.3 million people.

Latest rain radar and satellite map of America and Canada / Google

Tonight local time tornado warnings are still in force, some up until 4am and some for other big cities including Louisville and Indianapolis.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says the thunderstorms stretch from Texas in the south west right up into Ontario, Canada, in the north east with confirmation of a brilliant lightning storm in Toronto this evening local time. 

Environment Canada, the public forecaster, has heavy rain warnings in force for southern Ontario tonight with thunderstorm warnings too – but currently no tornado warnings.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says the belt of thunderstorms stretches around 2200kms in length, about the same distance as Auckland to Sydney.

It will be a long night for many across America as the thunderstorms and tornadoes roll through – and tomorrow the risk is again just as high, with the eastern states of America at high risk of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.

The Weather Channel was reporting earlier that there have been around 67 reports of tornadoes today alone across the United States.

– WeatherWatch.co.nz