A tornado emergency has been declared in Alabama as a violent storm hits the state. The National Weather Service in Birmingham confirmed the storm on Twitter, writing that the tornado has a “history of producing damage”.

Storm tracker Brandon Copic spoke to The Weather Channel, saying: “It was a violent tornado flinging debris everywhere.”

He added that it just missed the town of Lake Purdy “by less than a mile” and that if the tornado had hit the centre of town “it would have been devastating”.

CNN meteorologist Tom Sater called the situation “life-threatening,” and added that “this is just the beginning”.

“We’re seeing these supercell thunderstorms drop numerous tornados. In fact, some towns were hit just eight days ago,” Mr Sater said.

“Supercells are the least common type of thunderstorm,” according to the National Weather Service, but they “have a high propensity to produce severe weather” which can include “damaging winds, very large hail, and sometimes weak to violent tornadoes”.

Supercell thunderstorms can last for several hours and its unique feature is a “deep and persistent rotating updraft called a mesocyclone”.

Calling the situation “extremely rare,” Mr Sater went on to say that it was a “level five out of five” and that “we may have these issued by the storm prediction centre once or twice a year. This is the second time in eight days”.

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