At least 18 of the deaths were in Kentucky as storms spawn tornadoes in Wisconsin and bring a heatwave to Texas

Storm systems sweeping across the midwestern US left at least 27 dead in Missouri and Kentucky.

Kentucky’s governor, Andy Beshear, said at a briefing in London, Kentucky, that “at least 18” of the deaths were in his state. Many of the deaths in question were reported after a tornado sparked what authorities called a mass casualty event in south-eastern Kentucky.