Three days of heavy rain have caused widespread flooding in the United States, stretching from Illinois down to Mississippi.

31 people have died and thousands have been forced to evacuate.

The states which have suffered flooding include: Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Mississippi, and flood warnings are in place for the neighbouring states of Louisiana and Tennessee.

Large parts of the United States have suffered from storms recently, and major flooding has occurred along the Ohio, Mississippi, Meramec and Arkansas Rivers.

This flooding has swept downstream along the rivers toward the south and is expected to continue until the middle of January.

In parts of Missouri, however, the flood waters have begun to recede, leaving residents to begin the long process of recovering their homes.