WEATHER We're in for a partly cloudy one, with 50 per cent of chance of showers this evening and the chance of a (another) thunderstorm this afternoon and evening. Maximum 26. Right now it's about 21. 

ROADS A northbound lane on Five Islands Road at Flinders Street will remain closed after a bridge was damaged in a truck accident yesterday. Works on the Princes Highway at Gerringong are continuing.

TRAINS There is good service on the South Coast line.

6.02am Now let's take a look at what's been making news locally.

* Part of the M1 Motorway at Cataract Creek was closed for hours Sunday evening as police searched for a driver who fled into the bush at Bulli Tops after rolling a car.

* Wollongong MP Noreen Hay has once again been preselected as Labor’s candidate for her seat, after a controversial day of voting by rank and file members.

* A Unanderra man has been charged after allegedly wounding another man's face in a glassing incident Friday night. 

* The population of the Wollongong CBD will double in the next two-and-a-half years, according to Wollongong City Council projections. 

6.04am Encouraging news today for young would-be teachers caught up in Australia's oversupply of new graduates: Britain is increasingly snapping up Aussies to fill its "ghastly" shortage of qualified teachers. The SMH has the story.

6.08am ONLY IN THE NT NEWS A mysterious Northern Territory artist known as Spice Man is shaking the modern art world to its core by rearranging the spice jars at Woolworths stores to convey messages of “boobs”, “ballbags”, “fart”, “tits” and “crap”.

6.15am Check out Sylvia Liber's charming photos from the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music open day at the weekend.

6.20am CUTE Looks like the Cooper girls are all ready for a visit from jolly old Saint Nick on December 25. Only 17 sleeps to go!

6.25am Who will be crowned this year's Illawarra Sportsperson of the Year? Place your vote here.

6.30am Some cracking photos of last night's lightning from the Illawarra Stormchasers this morning.

6.35am Anyone missing a budgie? Bright yellow? Green belly? A reader has found the missing bird.

6.40am Bill Shorten has leapfrogged Tony Abbott as preferred prime minister, according to a new Fairfax poll.

6.45am Still on that Fairfax poll ... Peter Hartcher has analysed the figures for Bill Shorten and Tony Abbott and writes: "Neither man is regarded as someone most Australians would trust to feed their dog, but Shorten's 44 per cent rating on trust handily beats Abbott's 36. Abbott's low standing is unimpressive enough, but the fact that he's dwarfed by Shorten's stunted status is evidence of a serious problem." 

6.50am OK, Some Christmas trees are more impressive than others.

6.55am This joyful video of a little girl dancing to buskers in a New York subway is a must-see Monday morning viewing.

7am Good morning, if you're just joining us. A quick update: 

WEATHER We're in for a partly cloudy one, with 50 per cent of chance of showers this evening and the chance of a (another) thunderstorm this afternoon and evening. Maximum 26. Right now it's about 21. 

ROADS A northbound lane on Five Islands Road at Flinders Street will remain closed after a bridge was damaged in a truck accident yesterday. Works on the Princes Highway at Gerringong are continuing.

TRAINS There is good service on the South Coast line.

7.05am SPORT Western Sydney Wanderers players have been warned they face termination if they carry out a threat to boycott the Club World Cup over a pay dispute. The club is refusing to increase its offer of a 10 per cent share of the minimum $1.2 million prize money on offer in Morocco. 

7.10am Cars will be banned from Paris' historic centre and almost $150AUD million invested in bike lanes as part of a plan to tackle traffic and polution. 

7.15am Kalynda Davis, the young Sydney woman potentially facing the death penalty in China after being accused of smuggling large quantities of methamphetamine, could have become embroiled in what police suspect is the work of sophisticated international drug trafficking syndicates. - SMH

7.20am "Funeral costs have increased approximately 10 fold over the last 50 years," writes UOW's Lee Moerman an the University of Sydney's Sandra van der Laan of the growing cost of end-of-life practices.

7.25am Arthur Rorris, the head of the Illawarra trade union movement, says he is "baffled" at being physically escorted off the premises and refused a vote in Labor's controversial Wollongong preselection ballot on Saturday.

7.30am How fascinating, Annabel Crabb. 

7.35am Temperatures in the Illawarra are expected to be on average 1.9 degrees celsius hotter than they are now, according to a new snapshot.

7.40am Pregnant model Robyn Lawley has penned an open letter clarifying her position on abortion after earlier comments, linking the decision to concerns about body image, sparked criticism.

7.45am So hacked are Taiwan's computers that some government employees are issued with two - one connected to the internet, and a second that remains offline for security reason - SMH

7.50am Wollongong record store Music Farmers is counting down the year's best-selling albums.

7.55am Have you perused our lovely school formals gallery? Some beautiful gowns and dapper young gents.

8am Good morning, if you're just joining us. An update: 

WEATHER We're in for a partly cloudy one, with 50 per cent of chance of showers this evening and the chance of a (another) thunderstorm this afternoon and evening. Maximum 26. Right now it's about 21. 

ROADS A northbound lane on Five Islands Road at Flinders Street will remain closed after a bridge was damaged in a truck accident yesterday. Works on the Princes Highway at Gerringong are continuing.

TRAINS There is good service on the South Coast line.

8.05am The NSW health system has come under renewed attack with allegations that its bed count includes people sleeping in their own homes, parents staying with sick children and patients being moved between hospitals - SMH.

8.10am Woodfired pizza, anyone? Two new restaurants to open in the Wollongong CBD as the city's expansion shows no signs of slowing down.

8.15am A British tourist has plummeted 90 metres to his death from a cliff on Sydney's northern beaches, after climbing a fence to watch the sunrise with a group of friends.

8.20am Did you catch our bittersweet weekend read on the old school Balgownie fish and chipper that will soon close? 

8.25am Sales of cricket helmets have risen 59 per cent since Phillip Hughes' death - SMH

8.30am That's it from us this morning. Thanks for stopping by. We'll be back tomorrow from 6am.