It is time to head home from the Top End for the grey nomads and other escapees from the southern states.
The Stuart and Victorian highways are crammed with caravans fleeing the arrival of the build-up heat.
"The caravan parks were full a week or two ago, now they are all empty," long-time Katherine resident Bruce Francois said.
"It's got hot very suddenly, a bit earlier than normal."
Thousands of people have crammed into the Northern Territory during the dry season to make a run from the pandemic lockdowns back home in the southern states.
The NT has also ended the border road blocks which curtailed travel for the last dry season when temperatures are not so extreme.
Darwin broke a 38-year September temperature record this week after reaching a maximum of 38 degrees.
Although the heat wasn't accompanied by the build-up humidity, which comes as the Top End heads into its wet season, it is still sticky.
The previous record was 37.7 degrees set on September 1983, meaning the last time Darwin was this hot in September Territorians were listening to Bonnie Taylor's Total Eclipse of the Heart and watching Pat Cash emerge as a tennis star.
It nearly reached 40 degrees in Darwin's rural areas with Noonamah recording 39.7 degrees, breaking it's September record of 38.8° degrees set in 2019.
Katherine is heading into a run of 39-plus degree days next week.
The hot, dry and windy conditions in the Top End are due to stronger than normal south easterly winds.
Stronger winds have delayed the normal arrival of the sea breeze, allowing the hot temperatures in Darwin's rural area to reach the city and coastal suburbs.
Severe to extreme fire dangers are in place today and Wednesday across the Top End.
Meanwhile in Alice Springs, the Bureau of Meteorology is warning about the likelihood for frosts tomorrow although daytime temperatures are expected to rise to 29 degrees by Friday.