A tornado that struck southern Poland on Friday has killed at least three people and injured 34 more.

Villages in southern Poland were devastated by the heavy storms, with roofs torn off homes, trees knocked down and vehicles overturned.

The worst damage came in the southern province of Silesia, where two people were killed.

One man near Czestochowa died after a tree crashed into his home, while a woman was crushed by the ceiling of her house in Rusinowice.

In a separate incident one woman in the central city of Lodz was electrocuted by wires ripped off by heavy winds.

Strong winds also swept through section of the A4 highway section near Opole, overturning cars and trucks, and blocking it for several hours.

© Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.