And some of us will see sunshine at times today but watch out for dark gloomy clouds. Details on that and the christmas week forecast here brea kfast. Its sunday 20 december. Our top story. Millions of people in england and wales are waking up to new lockdown restrictions. At midnight london and large parts of the east and south east of england were put into a new category of tier 4 with an order to stay at home where possible. Similar restrictions came into force for all of wales at midnight. The announcements were made as plans to relax restrictions over christmas were reduced. Our Political Correspondent nick eardley reports. London last night was suddenly the last journey before london last night was suddenly the lastjourney before lockdown started. But it will not be the usual christmas getaway this year. Significant restrictions are now in place for large parts of england and in the whole of wales. They are coming in scotland and for millions, christmas visits will be considerably shortened or cancelled altogether. For leslie who has terminal cancer that means she will not be able to spend time with her sister stop literally, i sat in my chair in floods of tears. sister stop literally, i sat in my chair in floods of tears. I was messaging my family, you know, what will we do . It just messaging my family, you know, what will we do . Itjust seems so unfair that somebody like me, i am terminally ill, i will not be here next christmas. People could think that 0k, next christmas. People could think that ok, that is why we celebrate christmas in the summer but i do not know if i will be here in the summer. Know if i will be here in the summer. My sister will be sitting at home by herself 100 miles away. And her presents are under the tree. 70 Million People in england are back on lockdown. In london, the east and south east of england people are urged to stay at home, nonessential shops are closed, plans to allow christmas bubbles have been cancelled. In the rest of england, in scotland and wales, christmas is being cut back significantly. Instead of meeting for five days, christmas bubbles will only be allowed for one. Christmas day itself. It is with a very heavy heart i must tell you that we cannot continue with christmas as planned. In england, those living in tier four areas should not mix with anyone outside their own household at christmas. Though support bubbles will remain in place for those at particular risk of loneliness or isolation to begin wales, lockdown was brought forward and came in at midnight. Nicola sturgeon has said nobody should travel to scotland from the rest of the uk and she will bring ina from the rest of the uk and she will bring in a lockdown on the mainland from boxing day. It makes me want to cry as i am sure many of you want to cry as i am sure many of you want to cry because i know how harsh the sounds. I know how unfair it is. But this virus is unfair. The changes will come as a blow to many. The end ofa will come as a blow to many. The end of a tough year will be no easier. But politicians and scientists leave the risk is just too great. Believe the risk. Lets speak to our reporter andy moore, who is on Oxford Street in Central London this morning. This was said to be a crucial week of trading. That is right. These streets would have been busy with christmas shoppers yesterday and virtually empty today and the shops will lose out on some of those lucrative shopping days of the year. They will lose billions of pounds in revenue. The organisation that represents shops here in the west end said it was catastrophic for business and they are calling for more government support. The cbi says it is a kick in the teeth. The reaction of people to these announcements yesterday . The chief medical officer was asked what his advice would be two people packing their bags and preparing to leave town before the new restrictions came into effect and he said they should unpack their bags. 0bviously some people were not heeding that advice or hearing it. The seats on trains were sold out within a few hours. She seems last night at Saint Pancras. People on trains were told in messages that there could be no social distancing because the trains we re social distancing because the trains were just so busy. Social distancing because the trains werejust so busy. And social distancing because the trains were just so busy. And what do people think of the new regulations . An opinion poll carried out yesterday after the press conference gave a snapshot, really, of opinion saying that more than 70 of people approve of the new tier four regulations. 78 of people said they would change their plans over christmas and about 11 said they intended to break the new regulations. Thank you, andy. Rising infection rates in london are partly due to a new variant of coronavirus, known as vui, which is thought to be more contagious. Government advisors say the mutation is now the dominant strain in the capital, as our Health Correspondent katherine da costa explains. Hospitals and parts of london, kent and essex are coming under intense pressure. They are seeing a surge in new covid emissions, up by a third in one week after a sudden spike in new infections. An initial investigation found a new variant of coronavirus, significantly more infectious than previous strains are now accounts for 60 of cases in london. The scientist say at this stage there is no suggestion it causes more serious illness and would impact the effectiveness of vaccine. At a news conference, government advisers said it was time to act stop this virus spreads more easily and therefore more measures are needed to keep it under control with absolutely need to stick to the basic of making sure that we reduce oui basic of making sure that we reduce our contacts, reduce the possibility of spread for this virus and that is the reason that tougher measures are required to keep this variant under control. Vaccines offer a way out. 350,000 people across the uk received their first dose. If the 0xford vaccine is approved before the end of the year, millions of the most vulnerable could be protect within months. All this morning well be hearing from some of the people affected by the changes and finding out what it means for you. A uk government source has said there will be no post brexit trade deal with the european union, unless theres a substantial shift from brussels in the coming days. Its understood theres likely to be a decision before christmas about whether or not to continue the talks they remain stuck on issues around fishing and subsidies. Its less than two weeks until the transition period officially ends. Its the series thats been lifting our spirits on saturday nights this years strictly come dancing crowned its winner last night. If youre still hoping to catch up look away now. Bill and 0ti that pause it was felt a lot longer than that bill bailey and his dance partner 0ti mabuse have become the latest pair to lift the glitterball trophy. The comedian has become the oldest celebrity to win the title, while his partner has become the first professional dancer to win for two years in a row. I definitely got something in my eye at the point last night stop there was something. Listening to the song and that proper set. And particularly after what we heard yesterday afternoon. And the friendship therebetween bill and 0ti. Incredibly moving. And that isa and 0ti. Incredibly moving. And that is a beautiful shot there, matt. Good morning to you both. Looming clouds across porter said yesterday evening. It was a bit of a stormy day for a few and there will be more clouds like that across the country today. More showers to come but, like yesterday, sunshine in between the downpours. Some will stay dry for the bulk of the day. Lets see whether downpours are at the moment. A rumble of thunder theyre moving to the east of london and showers plentiful out towards the west of the country. They will come and go throughout the day. Eastern areas are always dry and bright. A fresh start compared to yesterday but we will see the showers push eastwards through the day. Sunshine will follow and we see showers, some thunder and a little bit of hail possible but, if anything, fewer showers through the afternoon tomorrow today compared to yesterday. There will still be blustery with the strongest of the wind gusts, these are the top expected around a0 or 50 mile an hourin expected around a0 or 50 mile an hour in the western half of scotland. After a fresh start to the day, a slightly fresher day by and large. 8 11 degrees but temperatures are not above where they should be for this stage in december. Through tonight, showers continue across scotland and Northern Ireland, these scales across Northern Ireland, these scales across clear skies across england and wales and as it pushes northward we will also see some rain. That rain falling onto saturated ground with the risk that river levels could rise, keep an eye on flood warnings across the south as we go through into tomorrow. All the details on the bbc weather website. Gusty wind around the English Channel in particular but it will be a day of splitting the country into. So while you have this warm mild air across england and wales, colder air for scotland and northern england. A few showers in the northern half of scotla nd few showers in the northern half of scotland but cloud and rain and Northern Ireland to begin with, brightening through the day on the western parts of scotland continue to see sunshine and showers. Early rain across many parts of central and Eastern England are easing and patchy into the afternoon with the temperatures in double figures if not the mid teens. Just six or seven degrees across parts of scotland and Northern Ireland. It remains in place into tuesday and the weather front will bring further rain across the south. This area of low pressure looks like it will not have as big an impact as it may have it is still wa nt to an impact as it may have it is still want to watch but as it clears away and we go through the rest of the week and into Christmas Day, High Pressure builds and things will turn dry. A quick snack shot of towns and cities across the country to take us through the week. We look to see the heaviest of the rain through tuesday and wednesday across england and wales but all areas turn dry for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the odd isolated shower and you find on Christmas Day that most places are dry with sunshine. But it will be a very frosty start. Lovely crisp festive frost. So with that shirt, matt. Thank you. I like myself. A few little patterns. I do like it. No christmas presents this year in oui no christmas presents this year in our household. Its time now to take a look at todays papers. The new restrictions announced by Boris Johnson dominate all of the sunday front pages. Christmas cancelled for millions is the headline in the telegraph. The article picks out a quote from englands chief medical officer professor chris whitty advising those placed under tier four to unpack their bags. Lost xmas is the headline on the front of the sunday mirror, which says theres public fury over the governments last minute announcement. The mail on sunday asks will this nightmare ever end . The front page also features comedian bill bailey, who won this years strictly come dancing last night with his professional partner 0ti. And the result of the strictly final is also one of the most read stories on the bbc news website. At 55, bill became the oldest celebrity to lift the glitterball trophy, beating Eastenders Maisie smith and singer hrvy. What does that tell you . Even on a day when we have had to change our Christmas Plans radically, millions of people would still have had the top story is still strictly. Did you seeit . Top story is still strictly. Did you see it . It is the escapism. Totally. But if you found yourself trying to diejust the but if you found yourself trying to die just the news and awkward conversations about what to do, to be able to throw that on even if you know absolutely nothing about dancing, you can allow your rain to switch away from all the bleakness. Do you not shimmy . I am not. Switch away from all the bleakness. Do you not shimmy . Iam not. Iam no extraordinary dancer. Earlier you we re extraordinary dancer. Earlier you were saying that the duchess of cornwall pain trip you to strictly was a moment. She said it lifted the spirits of the country in this particularly difficult time. She thanked them all for coming together and said she was excited. She knew who she would vote for but she did not give it away. I will have a quick look inside the sunday telegraph. This was on the news website yesterday but it is worth a mention, this particular mug that is selling rather well which is a chris whitty next slide please mug. Must have christmas gift. I think the bbc news website referred to the fact that chris whitty is outselling Britney Spears when it comes to mugs now. The chief medical officer of england. I guess one year ago you could have sat next to him on the bus and you would not have known who he was. I did not know that britney mugs he was. I did not know that britney ngs were a he was. I did not know that britney mugs were a big thing. He was. I did not know that britney mugs were a big thinglj he was. I did not know that britney mugs were a big thing. I suspect that maybe the journalist writing that maybe the journalist writing that headline was looking for a celebrity who may have sold a lot of mugs celebrity who may have sold a lot of ngs once upon a celebrity who may have sold a lot of mugs once upon a time full this morning, in most of the papers i look at the mail on sunday here, all of them are actually giving you a clear guide as to where you stand depending on what tear you were in. What does tia four mean. No indoor household mixing, stay within your own household even at christmas, dont visit other households over christmas while living in tia four. She is one, two and three, visit relatives indoors but only on Christmas Day. Chris whitty patrick balance urging people yesterday to stay local and keep visits as short as possible. A quick story about neanderthals before we move on. This from. Is it neanderthal or with a ha rd from. Is it neanderthal or with a hard tea . People from. Is it neanderthal or with a hard tea . People who lived a long time ago who vaguely looked like us. It seemed they had a good idea. I know what they would have done this winter given the news from yesterday. They would have hibernate it. Suggestion in the observer that scientists have discovered effectively a mass grave in spain with bones dating back a00,000 years and they have managed to look at the remaining bones and detected that that suggests that early humans may have put themselves into a cave for the winter and emerged out the other side having been in something of a slumber. The scientists have something of a discussion and a debate as to whether that counts as hibernation or whether it was just a long kip. There is a distinction between the two whether the human brain would be able to. Thats what i was thinking, without water for months or weeks . And without food. Early humans hibernating. food. Early humans hibernatinglj was i knew we have the capacity back in march. That is what i would have done. Sleep 2020 entirely. Exactly. We return now to our top story. New tier a restrictions have come into force in london and parts of the south east of england, meaning all non essential shops have closed and people are subject to a stay at home order. One of the areas which is affected is hertfordshire. We can speak now tojim mcmanus, who is the director of Public Health at hertfordshire county council. Good morning to you. Good morning, how are you . Very well. Hope you are too. Your reaction to the news from yesterday. Because korzh came very suddenly and it took everybody by surprise of course it came. Because our Christmas Plans personally had to be altered and then we kind of picked ourselves up and went, well, it is probably sensible government is treating this seriously and it means we need to double our effort. There were a few hours of a number of us feeling sorrowful, but that is not compared to the pain of those who have lost people to covid or who are suffering months after infections. So we are where we are and lets try to Work Together to get out of this. You said probably sensible to do this. Are you convinced the government has taken the right course of action here . Yes. I should have said sensible. We do need to take action when this virus is hitting more readily and given the high numbers we are in. I dont think we really had much alternative. But, in a way, i think the key thing is if you just summarise where we are, we are in a situation where the social distancing measures still work if we really adhere to them rigidly. The test still works anti vaccine still works. And those have not changed. And the key thing is for each of us, every time we leave the house, to treat ourselves and everybody else is if we were infectious. And if we have the level we had going on in early summer, then actually we can suppress this virus. I think the thing is we have all gotten tired and we have all kind of ease off the restrictions a little bit. You think people locally to you are, bluntly, have become too laid back as far as social distancing is concerned . think the whole countryjust needs to get back to some of the measures. You can see in to get back to some of the measures. You can see in some to get back to some of the measures. You can see in some regional environment that we are not distancing as much as we did. A lot of our residents are great, because i think is our residents werent doing what they are doing we would be in doing what they are doing we would beina doing what they are doing we would be in a worse position. I can 22 gyms and places of worship when we havent had a single infection month. So a lot of people are really trying their best and playing their part. But like everybody else in this region we have seen a significant and rapid rise in infections, which i think has taken the whole country somewhat by surprise in its speed and severity. Is this because of the new variant, is that a particular problem in your county . It seems to be at least partly because of the new variant. But the other strain circulating as well.