T-shirts and tornadoes for Christmas

Record: New York's Central Park hits 22 C, the warmest Christmas Eve since 19th century

US citizens on the East Coast shed their Christmas sweaters on Thursday to enjoy soaring temperatures ahead of the holiday, as further south deadly tornadoes cut a swathe of destruction through rural communities.

According to the US National Weather Service, temperatures in New York's iconic Central Park peaked at 22 C, the warmest Christmas Eve since records began in 1871.