Raging storms that started on Friday killed three people and injured 52, including three children, in Russian regions from the Volga to the Urals over the weekend, a local emergencies spokesman said.

"A storm front and gusts of wind of up to 30 meters per second swept across a number of regions in the Urals and the Volga area, including Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Mordovia and the Chelyabinsk Region," the source said.

One person was killed in Bashkortostan, and two died in the Chelyabinsk Region. Fifteen people were hospitalized.

The squall started on Friday afternoon, tearing down transmission lines, breaking roofs and uprooting trees. A storm warning had been issued in some of the regions.

"The roofs of 270 houses and other buildings were damaged," the source said.