News in 5: 'Vile' messages after Dolly's death; Woman critical over heat; Baby brain is real.

Warning: This article contains information about suicide which may be distressing for some readers.

1. Just days after 14-year-old Dolly Everett took her own life, her friend Katelyn was sent a stream of vile messages.

Northern Territory teen Amy 'Dolly' Everett made international headlines last week when her father shared the devastating reason she took her own life at just age 14: the former face of hat company Akubra had been overwhelmed by taunts from online bullies.

Sharing the heartbreaking news of her death on Facebook, her father Tick vowed to not let his daughter's life be in vain, and called for help to put a stop to bullying, wherever it may occur.

"If we can help other precious lives from being lost and the suffering of so many, then Doll's life will not be wasted," he wrote.

The hashtags #stopbullyingnow and #doitforDolly began trending online, and her story was shared all over the world. Her parents have set up a fund, Dolly's Dream, to help put a stop to bullying.

But on the day Dolly was laid to rest, another father has come forward to share the sickening messages his own daughter had received in the wake of the teen's death.

Russell Simpson, who said he and his family knew the Everetts, shared on Facebook that his own daughter - 15-year-old Katelyn - was being targeted by anonymous online bullies just days after Dolly's death.

He shared one such message on Facebook, revealing that he only learned about the vile messages after a friend of Katelyn's saw them and told her mother.

"Just had a phone call from a very concerned mother because her daughter is so upset and emotionally distressed because she read the following and this was sent to Katelyn," Russell wrote.

"To all the people that think we go on and on about cyber bulling here is your example to what Katelyn has put up with over the years.

"It doesn't worry her anymore but now it has become to the point where OK here I come and look out."

Russell included a screenshot of a Snapchat message from a user by the name of 'Fake Account' to prove his point.

"Why don't you just go cut your wrist until you bleed out," the message read.

"You'll do everyone a favour. Go do what Dolly did it should've been you not her."

Russell said he and his family were trying to determine who sent the messages, saying he had "narrowed it down" to five possible suspects.

"Fake Account you might think your tough and funny but hey we know it has to be someone Katelyn knows as you must have her phone number to connect to her account (sic)," he wrote.

"Katelyn has already reported it to Snap Chat. If by any chance Fake account you get to read this keep looking over your shoulder."

To donate to Dolly's Dream click here. 

If you or someone you know needs help you can call Lifeline on 131 114 or Beyondblue 1300 224 636.

2. A Queensland woman is fighting for life after suffering heat stress during the state's sweltering summer weekend.

Queenslanders have sweltered through record-breaking temperatures over the weekend as the mercury reached more than 40C in some parts of the state, AAP reports.

Brisbane fell just short of its predicted top of 38C, reaching 37.5C on Sunday afternoon before a cool change was expected to sweep through the city.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Lauren Murphy said it was 7.5C above the river city's January average of 30C.

"It's unusual but it's certainly not unprecedented," she said, referring to the city's record top of 43.2C.

That number was well and truly surpassed in the outback town of Julia Creek, which reached 44.4C on Sunday, just below its record of 45.9C.

But some records were broken in other parts of Queensland.

Residents living in the outback town of Winton endured their hottest overnight temperature on record on Saturday, with the mercury dipping to just 33.1C.

Cloncurry also equalled its all-time warmest night with a low of 32.7C, while Longreach had its hottest night on record since 1902 with a minimum of 31.8C.

The heat resulted in increased work for paramedics.

The Queensland Ambulance Service was called to the NightQuarter markets on the Gold Coast for three separate incidents.

Initial reports claimed each of the trio, including a 45-year-old woman who was taken to hospital in a critical condition, had suffered heat-related illnesses.

But a NightQuarter spokeswoman said she had been advised two had pre-existing medical conditions and the woman who was fighting for life was a market vendor who had suffered a heart attack.

"We remain in contact monitoring her condition and are supporting the family through this difficult time," she said in a statement on Sunday.

QAS senior operations supervisor Luke Wyatt urged people to be mindful of hot conditions over the summer and keep an eye on children, the elderly and those doing manual labour.

3. An Australian scientific study has confirmed that yes, baby brain is indeed a very real thing.

'Baby brain' does indeed exist and particularly affects women during the third trimester of pregnancy, Australian researchers have found.

According to AAP, the study shows 'baby brain' is a significant phenomenon that mainly manifests as minor memory lapses such as forgetting appointments.

Deakin University researchers analysed 20 studies, finding overall cognitive functioning was poorer in pregnant women than in non-pregnant women.

"The general cognitive functioning, memory and executive functioning performance of pregnant women is significantly lower than in non-pregnant women, both overall and particularly during the third trimester," they concluded.

"The differences primarily develop during the first trimester and are consistent with recent findings of long-term reductions in brain grey matter volume during pregnancy."

The study published in the Medical Journal of Australia found memory performance declined during the early stages of pregnancy, but the decline either slowed or stopped from mid-pregnancy.

The magnitude of changes in overall cognition and memory during the third trimester is not only statistically but also clinically significant, the authors said.

The study authors say more research is needed to determine the impact of 'baby brain' on the quality of life and everyday functioning of pregnant women.

"These findings need to be interpreted with caution, particularly as the declines were statistically significant, but performance remained within the normal ranges of general cognitive functioning and memory," Associate Professor Linda Byrne said.

Dr Melissa Hayden said the small reductions in performance across their pregnancy will be noticeable to the women themselves and perhaps those close to them.

She says they mainly manifest as minor memory lapses like forgetting, or failing, to book medical appointments, but that more significant consequences such as reduced job performance or impaired ability to navigate complex tasks, are less likely.

4. Some of Australia's leading doctors are pushing to label excessive sunburn as a form of child abuse.

Doctors from the Australian Medical Association (AMA) are pushing to have parents who allow their children to get sunburnt labelled as child abusers.

Speaking to 7 News, AMA NSW President Dr Brad Frankum said parents who don't apply sunscreen to their children on a regular basis "borders on negligence".

"If it happens repeatedly or if a child gets really severe sunburn, that's bordering on negligence," he told 7 News.

"If a child burns themselves by tipping boiling water over themselves... I don't see severe sunburn is any different," he added to The Daily Telegraph.

"If it happens repeatedly then that would be quite abusive really. It's no different to burning your kid with something else."

He wants to educate parents who believe letting their children "get a bit of colour" during the summer months is good for them, and wants to remind them of the "deadly consequences" sunburn can have.

According to Cancer Council research, sunburn rates across New South Wales have increased by five per cent in just five years, despite the knowledge that skin cancer accounts for more than 80 per cent of Australia's newly diagnosed cancers.

"It is during the annual summer holidays and on summer weekends that children are most at risk of overexposure to UV," Cancer Council NSW skin cancer prevention manager Liz King told The Daily Telegraph.

"When it comes to the protection of children, parents should remember that they are role models, and by practising good sun protection with their kids, they are setting up a good daily routine that will reduce the risk of skin cancer in the future."

For a helpful guide to how much sunscreen you should actually be applying, click here.

5. A weekend of convincing defeats: Melbourne Renegades take 10-wicket win over Hobart Hurricanes as Adelaide Strikers defeat Perth Scorchers.

Melbourne Renegades have romped to a 10-wicket WBBL demolition of the Hobart Hurricanes after the hosts' diabolical batting collapse.

The winless Hurricanes crashed from a promising 0-62 to be all out for 100.

Renegades openers Sophie Molineux (53 not out) and Emma Inglis (42 not out) smashed 15 fours and a six on their way to sealing an emphatic victory with 53 balls to spare.

The win lifted the Renegades above the Perth Scorchers into fifth position on the table, level with the fourth-placed Sydney Sixers on 10 points.

Hobart supporters would have been hopeful of a breakthrough victory at the ninth attempt when Hayley Matthews (40) and Stefanie Daffara (27) combined for an opening stand of 62.

However, the Hurricanes' innings then completely disintegrated, as all 10 Hurricanes wickets fell in the space of 51 deliveries for just 39 runs, including a nightmare flurry of 7-13.

Meanwhile, the Adelaide Strikers have joined Sydney Thunder at the top of the WBBL table after convincingly defeating the Perth Scorchers by 31 runs in Alice Springs.

Held to a modest 7-107 from their 20 overs after being sent in, the Strikers defended grandly to register their fourth successive win, dismantling the Scorchers for a measly 76 in 17.3 overs, the Scorchers' lowest WBBL total.

For the Strikers, the win allowed them to join top-ranked Thunder with 14 points.

Opener Nicole Bolton's 30 was the only score of note for a Perth outfit completely incapable of handling the tricky Traeger Park conditions and the Strikers' super-tight bowling.

Adelaide captain Suzie Bates (2-6) created the early incisions and deservedly claimed Player of the Match honours after earlier keeping the Scorchers at bay with the bat.

Alex Price (2-4), Megan Schutt (2-14) and Tahlia McGrath (2-17) continued to make regular inroads to make it two wins in as many days against the Scorchers, now fifth on the ladder with a 5-5 record.

6. How times have changed: New research says Aussie kids received more than $1 billion in pocket money these summer holidays.

Staggering new research suggests that Australian children pocketed more than $1 billion in spending money over the Christmas and summer holidays, 9 News reports.

The study by Commonwealth Bank revealed that the average Australian child aged between five and 17 received just over $500 to enjoy summer activities.

The most popular purchases for kids? Lollies and leisure activities like going to the movies. Girls were more likely to splurge on clothes and boys were particularly fond of purchasing video games to keep them inside on hot summer days.

The research found the 'Bank of Mum and Dad' dished out a whopping $1.1 billion over the latest school holiday period to keep kids entertained, with parents reporting they were asked an average of eight times of the six-week period to fork out extra cash.

Twenty-two per cent of the cash comes in the form of handouts, with just six per cent coming from regular pocket money or extra cash for completing chores around the house.

Funds earned through part-time work was a greater source of holiday income for those old enough to be employed.

Fifty per cent of the parents surveyed said they found the extra financial commitments over the holiday period to be stressful, with many adding they were "running low" on funds for extra activities by the end of the summer.

Commonwealth Bank's General Manager, School Banking and Youth, Irene Rowlands, suggested parents set up a budget to help get them through the last two weeks of the school holidays.

"Keeping kids entertained doesn't always come for free and, for many families, the financial burden of funding extra activities, on top of taking time off from work, can be stressful," she said.

"Set up a summer budget, opt for low cost or discounted family activities, and keep a track of your spending using handy personal finance apps.

"Given the influx of cash kids receive over the Christmas break, the summer holidays are also the ideal time to talk to your children about managing their money and establishing good savings habits."