Tornadoes and severe weather hit the Southeast, West and Midwest

Overflowing rivers receded in Missouri and Illinois on Friday after flooding swamped communities and forced towns to evacuate, but forecasters warned rain-swollen waterways could menace Southern states downstream.

Rare winter floods have killed at least 28 people in the U.S. Midwest since last weekend, most of them when they drove into flooded areas after days of downpours. Midwest floods typically occur in the spring as snowmelt swells rivers.

Dozens have died in U.S. storms, which also brought unusual winter tornadoes and were part of a wild worldwide weather system over the Christmas holiday period that also saw severe flooding in Britain.

More than 100,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes in areas bordering Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina after floods due to heavy summer rains caused by El Niño, authorities have said.

Weather is dominating conversation on social media over the holiday season after the international climate deal in Paris.

Particularly hard hit in the United States in recent days has been Missouri, which has suffered historic flooding. (Reuters)

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