New York, Dec 24 (EFE).– The temperature in New York soared to more than 70 F (21 C) on Thursday, the warmest Christmas Eve on record in the Big Apple, and is expected to climb even higher later in the day, U.S. media reported.

The previous mark was set in 1996, when the mercury rose to 63 F (17 C), according to American broadcast TV network NBC.

Record-high temperatures also are expected on Christmas Day in the city, where unusual sights have been seen such as children ice skating at Rockefeller Center in short-sleeved shirts.

Many tourists dressed in heavy coats they didn’t need sought refuge from the balmy conditions at the Toys “R” Us Times Square, which had decided to turn on its air conditioning.

Despite the unseasonably warm temperatures, which meteorologists say are related to the El Niño ocean-atmosphere phenomenon, fog and other weather problems were causing some flight delays at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in the borough of Queens.

The temperature in New York is expected to move up and down over the weekend before falling Monday to a high of around 45 F (6 C), more typical weather for late December in this metropolis. EFE