For many, Boxing Day is the holy day of testing, and for others, it's a day of much-needed rest after the stress of preparing Christmas dinner. But the news…
Many Australians will be warned about a heatwave across much of the country on Boxing Day, as well as flooding expected in South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.
High heat warnings have been issued for parts of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. According to forecasts, the heat will continue until the middle of the week with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius in some areas.
In parts of the Northern Territory and western Queensland, the pre-tropical storm will bring local downpours of up to 200mm over six hours. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a dangerous and deadly flash flood warning for the Barclays area, specifically east of Tennant Creek.
Seven emergency flood warnings have been issued for the Murray River in South Australia. Renmark City should be at its peak today.
As of today, at least 14 dams have collapsed across the country and more than 3,000 homes have lost power. The river is expected to peak at Mane between January 7 and 10.
For more information on the flood situation see South Australian reporter Tori Shepherd :
Related : After the rainy season, cities along Australia's major rivers face slow, inevitable flooding.
Two people drowning in different places thinking about Christmas.
A 19-year-old boy from north west Melbourne has died after his body washed up on a surf beach in Victoria near Lorne. His friend was taken to hospital and a third person is at a local hospital.
A man died after being pulled from the water at Windsor Beach in Sydney's northwest. Doctors tried to revive the man, but failed.
Two people died in a light aircraft crash near the Upper Territory in the Northern Territory.
There will also be plenty of sports news around the MCG today: the start of the Sydney-Hobart Regatta and the Boxing Day Test between Australia and South Africa.
let go!