News live: Australians predicted to offset cost of living with Boxing Day sales; dating app operators to meet with government on reform

For many, Boxing Day follows as another holy day consecrated to the Test match, while for others it’s a day of much-needed relaxation after the efforts of Christmas lunch preparations. But the news rolls on …

Many Australians will be sweltering through Boxing Day with heatwave warnings in place for many parts of the country as well as flooding expected in South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.

A heatwave alert has been issued for parts of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. The heat is predicted to continue until midweek, with temperatures getting up into the 40s in some areas.

In the Northern Territory and parts of western Queensland, an ex-tropical cyclone will bring locally intense, six-hour rainfall totals of up to 200mm. The Bureau of Meteorology warned it could bring dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding to the Barkly district, particularly areas east of Tennant Creek.

To the south, seven emergency warnings have been issued for flooding along the River Murray in South Australia. The town of Renmark is expected to peak today.

At least 14 levees have failed across the state so far, and more than 3,000 homes have been disconnected from electricity. The river is expected to peak down stream in Mannum between 7 and 10 January.

You can read more about the flood situation from South Australian reporter Tory Shepherd:

Related: After a year of rain, towns at the end of Australia’s giant river system await the slow, inevitable deluge

Looking back to Christmas Day, two men died in separate drowning incidents.

A 19-year-old from Melbourne’s north-west died while body-surfing near Lorne on Victoria’s Surf Coast. His companion has been airlifted to hospital while a third man is in a local hospital.

A man died after being pulled from the water at Windsor beach in north-west of Sydney. Paramedics tried to resuscitate the man but were unsuccessful.

There have also been two people who have died in a light plane crash in the Northern Territory’s Top End.

There will also be a lot of sporting news around today too as the Sydney to Hobart yacht race kicks off, and the Boxing Day Test between Australia and South Africa at the MCG.

Let’s get going!