The final months of the year in the Top End, known locally as "the build-up", are always swelteringly hot.
But this week is something different. The air is still, the sky is clear, the sun beats down onto the footpath and the storm clouds that usually provide much sought-after relief at this time of year are nowhere to be seen.
The temperatures have climbed so high that a heatwave has been declared for all regions of the Northern Territory, excluding the area surrounding Alice Springs, and an extreme heat "emergency" alert was issued by the health department on Thursday afternoon.
