Tornadoes and storms that hit US were a derecho, says National Weather Service

Derecho, often described as an inland hurricane, hit the north-central US on 15 December, separately from Kentucky tornadoes

The National Weather Service's (NWS) storm prediction center has described the multiple tornadoes and thunderstorms that struck the Great Plains and upper midwest last week as the result of a rare event called a derecho.

A derecho, often described as an inland hurricane, is derived from the Spanish word derechos", which means to direct" or straight ahead" and was first used in 1888 by a chemist and professor of physical sciences.