US weather: More than 15 tornadoes reported as Midwest braces for more severe weather

More than 15 tornadoes reported to have been spawned by powerful and slow-moving system

A powerful storm system has brought high winds, hail and thunderstorms to several central US states.

More than 15 tornadoes have reportedly been spawned by the slow-moving system, the National Weather Service said.

The tornadoes mostly hit Kansas and Nebraska, where they snapped power lines and knocked down trees.

There were no immediate reports of major damage or serious injuries, authorities said.

“Confirmed tornadoes have been reported with storms impacting the state,” the Kansas Division of Emergency Management said on social media.

“Take warnings seriously and take shelter if placed under a tornado warning,”

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch on Tuesday night for large parts of Kansas, as well as parts of Nebraska and Iowa.

Severe thunderstorms are expected across parts of the southern and central Plains into the middle Mississippi Valley on Wednesday, which could bring another round of tornadoes, it said.

“The tornadoes are being caused by supercell storms that are being driven by the strong wind shear,” said Chris Broyles, a meteorologist with the service’s Storm Prediction Centre.

Additional reporting by Reuters