Texas tornadoes and storms leave 760,000 without power

Hundreds of thousands of people are without power in Texas as severe thunderstorms batter the north-east region of the US state.

Officials said the latest round of storms will bring hurricane-force wind gusts of up to 77mph (123km/h) and golf ball-sized hail.

Tuesday’s extreme weather follows several weekend storms that killed at least 24 people across five states, including Texas.

Sweltering heat is also forecast for southern Texas on Tuesday, where temperatures could feel up to 115F (46C).

Some north Texans awoke on Tuesday to the sound of tornado sirens, after the National Weather Service (NWS) issued warnings in Dallas and surrounding areas due to the heavy thunderstorms.

There were reports of flooding of residential streets, downed trees and powerlines throughout the city, according to local newspaper the Dallas Morning News.

More than half of the 780,000 power cuts reported on Tuesday were in Dallas County, where schools have cancelled or delayed classes and activities for the day tue to the severe weather.

Hundreds of flights out of Dallas were also delayed or cancelled as of late Tuesday morning because of the storms.

The Dallas Zoo said on Twitter/X that it took a “significant hit” and would also close on Tuesday as it assesses the damage.

Nearly two dozen counties in Texas remain under a severe thunderstorm watch into Tuesday afternoon

The NWS said additional storms with “large hail and damaging wind” could continue in the region into the evening, and that “a tornado or two cannot be ruled out.”

It also warned about the potential of flash flooding in northern and central Texas, as well as parts of southern Oklahoma.