Kansas City, Missouri - The death toll from the tornadoes and violent storms that ravaged the central and southern US over the weekend has risen to 40, local authorities said.

"We are actively monitoring the severe tornadoes and storms that have impacted many States across the South and Midwest," President Donald Trump posted Sunday on Truth Social.

He said National Guard troops were deployed in Arkansas, where officials said three people had died and 32 had been injured in the storm.

Eight people died in Kansas in a crash involving more than 50 vehicles, caused by low visibility during a "severe dust storm", local police said.

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In Oklahoma, four people were killed as wildfires and strong winds swept across the state, the local emergency management department said.

"The damage is overwhelming," Missouri governor Mike Kehoe said in a statement after visiting some of the hardest-hit areas in that state.

"Homes and businesses have been destroyed, entire communities are without power, and the road to recovery will not be easy."

Earlier, the Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed 12 storm-related fatalities and shared images of boats piled on top of one another at a marina destroyed by the weather.

In Texas, local authorities said four people had died in vehicle accidents linked to dust storms and fires that reduced visibility on the roads.

The US saw the second-highest number of tornadoes on record last year with nearly 1,800, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), trailing only 2004.

The worsening climate crisis – overwhelmingly caused by the burning of fossil fuels – contributes to the frequency and severity of extreme weather phenomena.