The huge tornado which tore through the suburbs of Oklahoma city has been upgraded to the most powerful type of storm.

Winds reached around 200 mph (320 km/h) and left swathes of the suburb of Moore in ruins. Officials have confirmed that 24 people have died, including seven children, and around 120 are being treated in hospital.

President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in Oklahoma. Explore below to see videos and photos from the worst-affected areas.

The aerial view above shows the path of destruction in Moore. To explore the area in more detail, follow this link for a zoomable image.

Image caption The tornado touched down just before 1500 local time and travelled about 20 miles (32km) in 40 minutes.

Before and after photos

Image caption Seven children were killed at Plaza Towers Elementary School when the tornado tore off the roof.

Image caption Briarwood Elementary School (bottom of picture) was in the tornado's path when it struck on Monday afternoon.

Image caption Moore Medical Center was also badly damaged by the winds, which reached 200mph (320km/h).

Image caption Whole neighbourhoods were devastated, including these homes to the west of Santa Fe Avenue.

Image caption The powerful storm destroyed homes in its direct path but left nearby properties unscathed.

Records from the past 30 years show that tornado activity peaks in the months of May and June.