Less wind, more humidity and sun's position behind stifling Top End heat

By the time construction worker Joel Albury reaches the end of his work day, he's consumed nearly eight litres of water, and sweated most of it out.

He's among hundreds of outdoor workers sweltering through what many locals are calling a hotter-than-average build-up in the Northern Territory's Top End. 

"You're just sweating your guts out,"

he said.

"We go through the Yeti water bottles — there's four litres in one of them, and we fill them up twice a day."

Scott Cerqui, who also works outdoors on Darwin building sites, is another Territorian who says he's finding this year's build-up more punishing.

"It does take it out of you," he said. 

"I had to upgrade the water bottle this year, get a couple extra litres in the Yowy."

Forecasters say less wind, more humidity and the sun's position directly overhead are combining to make the Top End's build-up — the weeks of rising heat and humidity before the monsoon arrives — feel hotter than previous years, and that there likely won't be relief until the new year.

The Bureau of Meteorology's (BOM) senior forecaster Sally Cutter said while temperatures in Darwin were only about half a degree above average, in terms of humidity, the city "probably can't get much more moisture into the atmosphere". 

Last year, Darwin local temperatures reached a peak of 34.7 degrees in October and 33 degrees in November.

In comparison, this year October recorded a maximum temperature of 35.5 degrees, and November has so far remained hot, with maximum temperatures hovering around 35 degrees.

"It probably isn't going to get too much worse, but we are going to see a continuation of these sorts of conditions for the next month or so," Ms Cutter said.

The forecaster also said the current El Niño could delay the Top End's wet season relief.

"[It will] probably be into the New Year when [the monsoon] arrives,"

she said.

Ms Cutter said the indications so far were that the 2026-27 wet season would be slightly drier than normal.

It comes as the NT health department this week issued a string of "extreme heat" health warnings for parts of Arnhem Land, warning temperatures in the region — which have this week reached up around 40 degrees — "could be fatal if precautions are not taken".

Further south, BOM forecasters have predicted more wet weather for Central Australia, following a number of weeks characterised by intense storms and flooding.

"We do have another trough developing over Western Australia over the weekend and that's going to bring the showers and storms back down the western border," Ms Cutter said.

She said the moving trough could then see those showers and storms extend through Central Australia next week.

"Another south-easterly surge [is expected to come] in to the southern parts of the NT and just cool things down a bit," Ms Cutter said.