US President Bill Clinton has visited Orlando, Florida, to see the region worst hit by the tornadoes which have killed dozens.

Mr Clinton promised an aid package to help the area and said the people who lived there had America's sympathy.

Rescue workers on both America's east and west coasts are continuing to search for survivors of some of the worst storms ever to hit the country.

At least 38 are believed to have been killed in Florida and the bill for the damage is estimated to total $31m.

"The efforts you see going on around you to clear out the debris and just help people look at a place as nearly as possible as it once was before the tornado is psychologically one of the most important things that can be done to help the healing process and get people back to normal," said Mr Clinton.

"We'll also continue to provide the resources necessary to meet the immediate disaster needs," he said.

Meanwhile, in California two police officers died when their cruiser was swept into a river.

At least five others have died in West Coast mudslides and tornadoes driven by the same El Niño weather system that has left parts of Florida battered and more than 250 injured.

'Deadliest twisters on record'

Some of the twisters that swept the East Coast are believed to have hit speeds of 260mph - the deadliest in Florida since the States' National Weather Service started keeping records 50 years ago.

At least 38 people have died in Florida

More people have been killed in the latest storms than died during Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which left 32 dead across Florida, Louisiana and the Bahamas. Rescuers are still searching for at least eight people, using bloodhounds to sniff through the remains of homes and cars.

In California inch-an-hour rains left homes devastated by floodwater and mudslides. The Amtrak rail link between Los Angeles and Seattle was broken when a mudslide in Santa Barbara County tore up tracks.

While the storms have led to tragedy, there have been some amazing stories of survival - an 18-month-old boy was found alive after a twister plucked him, mattress and all, from his bed and hurled him into the fallen branches of a tree.

The boy suffered only a few scratches to his chin and forehead after his bedding formed a protective cocoon around him.

A car near Ica on Peru's desert coast

Torrential rain in Peru, which has been attributed to El Niño, has led to the formation of a new lake in one of the driest areas of South America.

Continuous rain has caused several rivers to burst their banks and change course, converging on the same area and creating a 300km-long lake in the Sechura desert in the north of the country.

Charity launches appeal in London

A UK charity has launched a £500,000 appeal to help victims of the El Niño phenomenon - the worst since 1982.

"Millions of people are seeing their farms, homes and harvests swept away by floods or destroyed by drought," said Jenny Borden, acting director of Christian Aid, which launched the appeal in London on Wednesday.

"The effect will not just be felt today - but for many years to come as people try to recover from the loss of almost everything."

The freak conditions, ranging from torrential rain to long-term drought, have caused several thousand deaths worldwide and are affecting thousands of communities across the globe.

Worldwide, El Niño has cost an estimated £10bn in drought, flood and long-term damage.

In Papua New Guinea, 1.2 million - a quarter of the population - are starving as a result of the worst drought in living memory. Christian Aid workers say some people are living on leaves after their crops failed.

In Somalia, up to 2,000 people have been killed and 250,000 left homeless by severe floods.
 

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