Bill and sade are off. More on the celebrations in a moment but we are going to begin with breaking news. An active scene in Nassau County where a car has hit three pedestrians. It happened shortly before 10 00 in hicksville. The victims were rushed to local hospitals. At least one was seriously injured. The intersection is shut down as police investigate. No word yet on what caused the accident or if anyone has been arrested. The driver remained at the scene. Well be following the story all night at abc7ny and tomorrow morning beginning at morning. Christmas celebrations around the world. From the vatican to bethlehem, thousands have already ushered in christmas 2015. Right now a lot of people are getting ready to head to Midnight Mass in our area. Ross is in midtown at st. Patricks cathedral where people are already gathering. A. J. , they want to make sure they get those seats. Reporter they certainly do. Beyond the bright holiday lights is a timeless and precious story that speaks to the world. Countless families have gathered to celebrate the birth of christ. Lifting their voices and hearts in unison, nearly every pew was full with people from all walks of life joining together in prayer, song, and a common belief in the miraculous birth of jesus. Its very, very blessed and peaceful. Is its a beautiful thing, i celebrate jesus birth. Reporter its a timeless story thats been told many different ways. Family and children enjoyed a special nativity play. It brings you closer to god. I feel special that i can perform in the play. Like my brother, it brings me closer to god. I prefer this church because they have doughnuts. Reporter meanwhile where many gathered for Midnight Mass, its a time for reflection. The meaning of is christmas is a moment for people to be with their families, to be with their friends, to step back from work, to step back, in my mind, from the shopping, if you can. You get what you can for your family and friends, but to remember why we are on earth. Reporter shirleen, i have there are so many people on fifth avenue, some going to st. Pats, some taking in the displays and really just feeling the holiday spirit. A. J. Ross, channel 7 eyewitness news. All right, a. J. , thank you. And earlier tonight Cardinal Dolan celebrated mass with those who otherwise couldnt do to their work protecting new yorkers. The cardinal celebrating at engine 54, ladder 4, battalion 9, one of the firehouses that responds to st. Patricks cathedral. And tens of thousands joined pope francis earlier tonight at the vatican. Pope francis celebrated a late night mass at st. Peters basilica. He spoke against what he called societys intoxication with consumerism and wealth. Thousands are expected tomorrow morning to hear the popes Christmas Day speech. And in bethlehem in the the church of the nativity. It is built rate at the spot where tradition holds that jesus was born. And thousands of people crowded into manger square for Christmas Eve festivities. They were not kept away by the recent wave of violence between palestinians and israelis. Four palestinians died in attacks across the west bank. And people celebrating christmas in our area wont need a heavy coat or snowshoes. Some people spent time today in shorts and tshirts, even dining outdoors. We set a record today. It may not be the only one we set before the end of the year. Josh einiger has more on the unusual holiday weather and how people spent it tonight but we begin with meteorologist lee goldberg. Shirleen, it was so bizarre Walking Around seeing everybody have their christmas dinners outside. Remarkable. You wont forget this Christmas Eve and day. Record highs at the park. Add bridgeport to that list at it was only three degrees cooler than our high on july 4th at 75. Still at 11 00, the light show just ended on the empire state building, 67 degrees at 11 00. Thats 30 Degrees Higher than it should be. 46 in monticello, 50s on the island where dense fog has come in. Same thing down the shore. Theres a dense fog advisory for the island that will go until 6 00 in the morning. Low cloudiness, a couple of light sprinkles. Heavier showers over Southern Ocean county. Were tracking thunderstorms on Christmas Eve. So wacky. So fog will not slow santa down. Were tracking santa on norad. Apparently around the northeast right now, so kids have until about the end of the newscast. More record warmth. Rain may be knocking on the door by days end. There is some winter chill in the accuweather forecast. My nieces and nephews are listening to you keenly about where santa. Normally when we think of a warm christmas we think of places like southern california. This is a live picture from long beach. Today the Los Angeles Area topped out at only 61 degrees. Can you believe it . Eyewitness News Reporter josh einiger didnt find many people complaining about our 72 degrees today. He is on the Upper West Side with more. Josh. The difference a year makes, huh. Reporter yeah, thats true, shirleen. It is a little chilly right now, for august, or for long beach, california, perhaps, but here on broadway in the 60s, the sidewalk cafes are still busy, the sidewalks are still around. In fact, if you didnt look across the street at the Lincoln Center christmas tree, you would have no idea tonight is christmas. They were jogging by the hudson river, cycling in central park, it felt more like Christmas Eve in miami. What does one wear when its 66 degrees on december 24th . I dont know how to dress. Im trying to dress down, and im too hot, and i cant figure out if i need a vest, if its ever going to get cold again. Reporter a sentiment widely shared on social media. Christmas eve dinner outside, tweeted this family. Its pleasant, but these things come in cycle. Next year at this time we may have three feet of snow. Reporter but as pleasant as its been, this man couldnt help but remark that something here is seriously wrong. Senates worrisome obviously. It shouldnt be like this. Maybe not showing, butt should be at least like the 50s. At most, 50s. Im enjoying now, but im worried for the future. Reporter back live, a lot actually have heat lamps out tonight. Its not like a balmy summer night, but on december 24th, whos complaining, really. Live on the Upper West Side, josh einiger, channel 7 eyewitness news. So true. Thank you, josh. New at 11 00, if fed ex failed to show up with a gift, youre not alone. Fed ex says it wasnt able to make all its scheduled Christmas Eve deliveries. To try to catch up it will deliver on Christmas Day and will open its express offices so customers can pick up packages. Fed ex blames the delays on bad weather in parts of the u. S. And a lastminute surge of holiday shopping. New tonight, investigators are on the scene of a deadly accident in brooklyn. Police say a 77yearold woman was crossing the street in the Sheepshead Bay section when she was hit by a van. The woman was pronounced dead, the driver remained at the scene. Shooting at a mall in north carolina. The mall was crowded with shoppers looking for last minute gifts when shots rang out. Police say the gunfire was sparked by a fight between two groups of people. I want to tell the people emphatically this is not a random act of violence. This is something that happened between two parties who were beefing back and forth. The offduty officer was working at the mall when he heard the shots and confronted the man who pointed a gun in his direction. The officer opened fire, killing the suspect. The officer is now on administrative leave, pending an investigation. In chicago, lastminute Holiday Shoppers had to weave through protesters in the Retail District along michigan avenue. Demonstrators briefly blocked the entrance to an apple store. It was latest in a series of ongoing protests since the release of video showing a Police Officer shooting a teenage boy to death. Todays protest was smaller than one held in the same and as we continue on this thursday night, why californias governor has pardoned Robert Downey jr. For something that happened almost two decades ago. Also, people getting pulled Robert Downey jr. Is getting a Christmas Present from the governor. A pardon. He was convicted of felony drug possession after authorities found heroin, cocaine, and a gun in his vehicle. In 1999 he served nearly a year in prison after acknowledging he violated his pro baismghts since then the star has gone on christmas came a day early for more than 100 children on long island thanks to the generosity of the local police. The Nassau CountyPolice Foundation paid for the children to go on 100 shopping sprees. These children come from families that have hard times. Ive had a really rough year and a half, and having two kids is definitely a struggle, and its been a rough year. This is amazing. This is a christmas miracle. Its important to know the police are there, not only when you need help, sometimes in bad situations, but theyre also there for good situations. Not only did maddies toy shop shut down for the kids, the kids went over their Gift Certificate amount. More than 500 children their families were invited to take part in a toy drive give away today. Officers today boarded buses and made car stops, but not to give out tickets. They had another mission. Reporter this was a traffic stop with a festive reason. Do you know yi pulled you over . No. Because youre driving with a girl in the back. Reporter dozens of officers took to the streets handing out a variety of gifts to unsuspecting kids and families. You dont drive with a little girl in the back without a present. Its the holidays. Due mind if i give your daughter a present . As you have seen throughout theres been issues with police and community interaction. This is another way of saying, listen, heres one way the police are helping. Protecting, serving, and placing priceless smiles on countless kids faces. The toys were extra toys from a recent toy drive at the station. These are some of the candid photos the nypd posted to twitter. I thought i was getting a ticket. I dont know. Look, why even talk. Its all right, Merry Christmas. Thank you so much. Due like wrestling . There you go, look at that. Merry christmas. Merry christmas to them. The officers were pretty busy all day. Were told they gave out hundreds of toys. What a relief for that woman. Did you see that . There. Did you hear josh . Its a little cool out there. Exactly. For california. A clever tweet from a viewer trading in pine trees for palm trees. We are tracking santa. If you are waiting for the update from norad, the latest position of santa is right over ontario, canada, so very close by and ready to head into the northeast. Well look on radar as well. There is the empire state building. Beautiful led christmas colors. The wind is calm. The high today 72 balmy degrees, easily a record high, almost the alltime december high. Look at that. 31 degrees above average. As we head to the weekend, we will look at record warmth to end the weekend, but definitely a different feel on saturday with occasional light drizzle or showers. Back in the 50s on sunday. Lots of ups and downs in the sevenday. We have the dense fog advisory until 6 00 in the morning. More clear skies here. A lot more clouds along the jersey shore with a couple of showers. Mostly cloudy to start tomorrow morning but a little bit more clear skies to the north. More clouds and a little fog along the coast. Then well see the clouds break up as we go through the morning hours. I think by midday we see the brightening skies. A couple of sprinkles around across parts of Warren County and into Morris County but heavier showers over southern stafford. I do think the skies will the day. There it is, rate over ontario, the radar picking up santa outrunning the rainfall. So that confirms norad. Theres more rainfall. Thats going ride up along that front and return to our area tomorrow evening and be with us off and on during the day on saturday. Futurecast as we go through tomorrow morning, a couple of fog, 40s north and west, 50s most sections. The clouds will come back late day but well be 64 to 66. That will break the record high from 1982. Tomorrow evening, have the umbrella going to christmas dinner. There will be some light rain that tries to move in, especially south and west of new york city. A merry mild christmas. A couple of showers, clouds, and 52. 59 at sunrise. Partly to mostly sunny skies. Record warmth clouds come in, then late rain tomorrow night. Mostly cloudy. As we go into the day saturday, look at the futurecast. Just occasional showers. Going into sunday, lucky enough to have tickets to jets patriots . 64 at kickoff. Third or fourth quarter, might be a shower. Have the umbrella. Might be an icy mix tuesday morning. It does look like were going to have our cool shots after we get out of this incredible warmth. Its going to be a shock to the system. No snow though, right . Nothing yet. New tonight, pop singer Janet Jackson announcing she is going for surgery postponing her current world tour. The fivetime grammy winner is asking fans on twitter for specifying what she needs surgery for. She says Ticket Holders to the remaining concerts including the february shows in newark and brooklyn will be honored in a special way when the new schedule is announced. In tonights health alert a warning from eye experts that modern habits may be increasing a childs risk of becoming near sight. A panel of ophthalmology experts noting the number of americans with myopia has nearly doubled over the last 50 years. That may be due to the use of Electronic Devices and not spending enough time outdoors. The experts encourage kids to take breaks and play outdoors. Look whos joining me now. Anthony johnson up next with sports. Nice to have you. Nice to be here, shirleen. The jets and giants hold on to slim playoff hopes. We look ahead to the 2016 mets season and say goodbye to stars from last season. Rob powers as he showers you with a sports twist on a holiday classic you wont want to miss. Hi, im deployed piano music. Wow. Im glad you finally made it, dad. Thats what you always say. You were right about the food. Yeah . Welcome. Only in new york, right . I guess so. And a real astronaut. That was something. Hi john. Hey kevin. One more. Didnt you want to be an astronaut . Be an astronaut . Yes, i did. Theres still time. Ahhhh its beautiful, isnt it . How about a baseball game next time . Done done. Book priceless experiences around the globe with. Welcome back. Anthony johnson in for rob powers with sports. If you can catch a football theres an immediate job opening. Send your resume to tom coughlin care of the new york giants. Big blues fragile playoff hopes will be tested sunday against the vikings, having to go without the suspended odell beckham. Adversity to keep its slim playoff hopes alive. I hope to be able to make a statement about our Football TeamGoing Forward and facing a challenge, facing adversity. Many, many guys have got to step up. As for the jets, even wins in their final two games will not guarantee a playoff spot despite 11 wins. Still, they know their only chance is to win out, and that starts sunday with the hated patriots, lee, coming to town. Tell you what, makes christmas a lot more fun when youre winning and when you have an opportunity to at least advance to the tournament. A double downer for the mets. First they confirm that cespedes will not be coming back, then they learn Daniel Murphy has signed a threeyear deal with the washington nationals. Merry christmas, mets fans. So now its time for a sports tradition, the rob dick incidence classic that rob has made fantastic. A lack back at the home teams as you settle in for your christmas dream. Such a nice fire. twas the night before christmas, the night we look back so go take a load off while we take a crack, the mlb playoffs, man that was fun. Not much for the yankees. Talking about the mets, to the series they were sent. Murph smacked those baseballs over the fence, 33 back from tommy john when harvey was on, the journey complete, back is the dark knight. The yankees own story under the heading return was authored by arod whose lesson was learned. Talk about lessons, theres jason pierrepaul. Glad hes alive, forget about football. The giants keep fighting. The jets right on track led by a journey man. Changed by a locker room smack. Not just a bruise, that bone, it was cracked. The previous coach shuffled upstatement hockeys been good, all locals make run. The belmont saw history, didnt let us down. Farrow did it, won that triple crown. Then that tall latvian called porzingis. Lets have a parade, some big story, youve heard a few in the short time we had, the best we could do. Until next year, of course, next Christmas Eve night. A Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night. Merry christmas to you, coach, and to you. So now we count down to 2016 for new york fans what. It will mean . A championship run for all would be fun. So two text dark knight, go bring us the crown so you can have a Merry Christmas. That is the news for now. Im shirleen allicott. Christmas