8.30am: and that will do us for today! Thanks for sticking around. It'll be hot, so keep cool, keep hydrated, and slap on some sunscreen if you're heading outside. Happy Friday!

8.25am: the Wollongong Choice Talent Quest is on tonight, raising money for the Homeless Hub. $10 a ticket gets you in to see 21 local performers, from Bollywood dancers to rock bands. It starts at 6pm at City Diggers. 

8.20am: the poor Hawks can't catch a break, and seemingly can't buy a win lately. They've lost nine in a row, but coach Gordie McLeod isn't giving up yet. He says he is still tinkering with the team lineup, trying to find how to get his stars to fire.

8.15am: our comrades at the ABC are holding a public rally in Wollongong today, protesting funding cutbacks that may see some local ABC services around Australia cut back or cut entirely. Local pollies Sharon Bird and Jill Merrin are among those speaking at the 'Our Stories, Our Future' rally at the Town Hall today, from 12.30pm. 

8.10am: another art exhibit opens at Wollongong Art Gallery today. 'Shades of Blue' is an exhibit by artists who are also members of the police force. Some say art is a relief after a busy and stressful day policing. It opens today

8.05am: these New York snowstorms are out of control. Some Tweets from the city of Buffalo:

8.00am: coming up on the second hour of our time together - time flies! So sad. Here's today's big Merc headlines:

* a Marshall Mount man has handed himself in to police, confessing to committing a break and enter more than eight years ago

* Wollongong retailers hope the reopening of the mall will boost their revenues, saying the endless construction dented their takings

* the controversial Shellharbour Junction train station will have no toilets on the platform, and no staff manning the station

7.55am: Fox Sports are reporting the A-League is looking at setting up a team in the Sutherland shire by 2017. No word on what this might mean for a hoped Wollongong franchise.

7.50am: the holy grail for lazy dieters - Nestle are developing a drink that will be "cardio in a can," helping you burn fat. In the company's Swiss "health lab," the boffins are working on a drink that could speed up the metabolism, helping you get the same cardio effects as running or cycling, from just simple walking.

7.45am: a strong mo/mullet combo from Paul McCartney. I went to a gig last weekend and saw a bloke rocking this very same look. As they say, fashion is cyclic...

7.40am: if you need even more Wollongong music, the Steel City Sound exhibition opens at Wollongong Art Gallery today. It takes up a huge part of the gallery, with music videos, a lounge room, a bar (featuring parts of the old Oxford Tavern) and stacks more local music memorabilia and history.

7.35am: speaking of which, here's that new clip from The Vanns. The indie-pop outfit play Rad Bar on Sunday.

7.30am: need some local music in your life this weekend? Check this week's Radar Illawarra music column, compiled by yours truly! 

We've got news on Illawarra DJs playing Stereosonic festival, a new video from The Vanns, and a gig guide of all the best music action happening in the region. Here it is.

7.25am: a student at Florida State University has been saved from a school shooting by his library books. Jason Derfuss was one of those targeted when another student opened fire in the uni library on Thursday, but the bullets were stopped by books in his backpack. Derfuss uploaded pictures of the books to his Facebook page. 

7.20am: the SMH reports the University of New South Wales has fined students a total of $100,000 for using the uni Wi-Fi networks to illegally download movies or TV shows.

7.15am: a Corrimal woman has warned Illawarra residents of a phone scam operating in the region, where callers offer a $7200 refund for overpaid bills. Don't fall for it!

7.10am: check all the pics from the annual Kidzwish children's Christmas Party at the WIN Entertainment Centre yesterday - so many smiling faces!

7.05am: on a lighter note, apparently there are bags of vomit on the moon. A NASA list details what items humans have left on the moon during space missions, with oxygen filters, antennas, cables and other gear alongside "urine collection assembly, small," "urine assembly, large," and "bag, emesis" - emesis being the technical term for vomit. Lovely!

7am: top of the hour, time for a recap:

WEATHER: it's gonna be HOT. Wollongong might hit 36 degrees, and Albion Park has 37 predicted. It's 25 degrees in Wollongong now.

ROADS: everything looks good on the roads so far.

TRAINS: good service and no trackwork for the South Coast line

6.55am: at least eight people have died in freak snowstorms in New York. The effort to fight the snow is being described as "the largest of its kind ever," with up to nine feet of snow covering the entire area. Check this wild picture of Ralhp Wilson stadium, where the Buffalo Bills football team are supposed to play this weekend

6.50am: three Thai students have been arrested for displaying the three-finger salute from the Hunger Games films. The latest film, 'Mockingjay,' is out now but the hand gesture has also been adopted by opponents of a military coup in Thailand and was banned by the government.

6.45am: there's a great new local initiative called Coastal Creatures, who are putting together lovely videos of Illawarra acoustic singer-songwriters playing in beautiful outdoor locations. Here's one of Tyne-James Organ playing as he walks through a forest. Keep up to date with the page for some more great upcoming clips

6.40am: the Mercury's ongoing investigation of the Trio Capital saga continues today. Cydonee Mardon reveals $121 million of transactions took place after the ANZ bank removed itself as a custodian of the account.

6.35am: there's a $22,000 diamond sitting in a field in England, waiting to be claimed. As part of a promo by British jeweller 77 Diamonds, a 1.14 carat stone was attached to a helium balloon near Lincolnshire, and released into the sky. The balloon popped, and the diamond fell back to earth - and the jeweller wants people to go out, find it, and keep it. 

6.30am: here's how I cook.

6.25am: Wollongong is about to get some new night-time markets. Kate McIlwain has the inside running on Eat Street markets, set to fill up the new mall after dark each week from December 4. Get all the info here.

6.20am: Oscar-winning director Mike Nichols, the man behind The Graduate, The Birdcage and Working Girl, has died. The 83-year-old husband of Diane Sawyer died on Thursday

6.15am: look, it's going to be hot today. No bones about it. At 6.15am, it's already 25 degrees in Wollongong, and we're set to hit the 30s by 11am. Keep cool water on hand, stay out of the sun if you can avoid it, and remember to keep the sunscreen nearby!

6.10am: now for some national headlines, courtesy of our friends at the Sydney Morning Herald:

* controversy-dogged NSW pollies Eddie Obeid and Ian McDonald are to face criminal charges after ICAC corruption findings

* Clive Palmer has stormed out of another TV interview. Must be that time of the week again...

* the commissioner of the Australian Federal Police "categorically" stated the sword seized in September's Sydney terrorism raids was metal, not plastic as previously alleged

6.05am: there's a good Mercury out today. You should go get a copy or three from the newsagent. If you're still in bed, here are the stories you'll find inside.

* a Marshall Mount man has handed himself in to police, confessing to committing a break and enter more than eight years ago

* Wollongong retailers hope the reopening of the mall will boost their revenues, saying the endless construction dented their takings

* the controversial Shellharbour Junction train station will have no toilets on the platform, and no staff manning the station

6am: Good morning, and happy Friday! It's warming up outside already and is set to be a warm one today. Here's the first morning rundown:

WEATHER: it will be HOT today. Wollongong is heading for a top of 36 degrees, and it will be even hotter at Albion Park with 37 predicted. The entire Illawarra is set for 30+ degrees. Keep safe, keep cool and keep hydrated

ROADS: everything looks a-ok on the roads so far.

TRAINS: good service and no trackwork planned for the South Coast line