A tornado has touched down in a heavily populated area of Massachusetts, causing damage and injuring a number of people.

The National Weather Service said witnesses reported sighting the tornado near the city of Springfield on Wednesday afternoon.

Television footage of the area showed dangling power lines, shattered windows, and debris strewn on the road.

A local television news channel reported that one person had died when his car was hit by a tree.

Forecasters have issued an official tornado watch for a wide swath of the northeastern United States, with more tornadoes and severe weather possible.

Meanwhile, officials say they have accounted for all the people who were missing after a powerful tornado hit the central U.S. city of Joplin, Missouri last month.

Missouri public safety officials say 134 people have been confirmed dead, in the deadliest tornado to hit the U.S. since 1947. This has been the deadliest year in the United States for tornadoes since 1950.

Authorities have said the bodies of some victims of the Joplin tornado are so badly damaged, it has been necessary to use DNA and dental records to identify them.