Two dead as tornadoes rip through US Midwest in latest extreme weather | weather news

‘Supercell’ storms hit Illinois and Indiana after eight people were killed by tornadoes in the US Midwest last week.

According to authorities, two people were killed by tornadoes in the Midwest region of the United States amid a series of extreme weather conditions.

At least four tornadoes touched down as intense “supercell” storms hit northern Illinois and northwestern Indiana on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

“Supercells” are the rarest form of thunderstorms. They are known to be particularly devastating due to their long duration and “high propensity to produce severe weather conditions, including damaging winds, very large hail, and sometimes weak to violent tornadoes,” according to the NWS.

In Indiana, local officials said an elderly couple had died when a tornado hit their home in the town of Lake Village.

Several Newton County residents were rescued by emergency services as the storm downed at least 70 utility poles and left some roads impassable.

In a video posted to social media Tuesday night, Sheriff Shannon Cothran warned people not to try to access damaged areas.

“Please don’t come here. Don’t try to help now,” Cothran said, standing in front of the couple’s destroyed home.

Parts of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio remained under a tornado watch into the afternoon.

About 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Lake Village, another tornado touched down in Kankakee County, Illinois, on Tuesday night.

Authorities said the tornado caused extensive damage as it moved through the suburb of Aroma Park. At least nine people were injured, but no deaths were reported, according to local officials.

Cassidy Sinwelski, 23, told The Associated Press that the storm hit Kankakee harder than expected.

She and her husband took refuge in the bathroom of their house.

“We went to the bathroom, grabbed a piece of plywood, and within minutes, I closed my eyes, the lights flickered and there was just… nothing,” Sinwelski said.

Then there were loud bangs and the sound of breaking glass.

“I kept crying out to God because I didn’t know what else to do,” he said.

The latest round of extreme weather comes after eight people were killed by tornadoes in the US states of Michigan and Oklahoma last week.