El Niño events linked with extreme weather around the world – and can increase risk of bushfires in Australia and coral bleaching on Great Barrier Reef

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

The Bureau of Meteorology has officially declared an El Niño – the phenomenon linked to hotter and drier conditions for Australia – is now locked in place in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

The bureau warned climate change would amplify the effects on Australia, including the risk of extreme heat and bushfires.

One man died in Iowa after a tree fell on him as nearly 700 severe weather events were recorded over three days

• Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email

An Illinois man whose home was destroyed by a tornado on Thursday was pulled from the rubble by a police officer and a photojournalist, who captured the terrifying storm and subsequent rescue in dramatic video footage.

Scott Lasker, who describes himself as a storm chaser, recorded the tornado ripping through the town of Streator and was filming the damage it inflicted when he came across the man trapped in the debris of his house.