Darwin has just sweated through its warmest pair of October days and nights in 16 years.

The build-up has felt particularly warm and muggy in Darwin during the last 48 hours, with temperatures feeling like the low thirties at night and the mid-to-high thirties each day.

Darwin's minimum temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings were 27.7 degrees and 27.9 degrees respectively. The mercury reached 34.8 degrees on Tuesday and is forecast to hit 34 degrees on Wednesday afternoon, although humidity made it feel even warmer. This will be the first time in 16 years Darwin has stayed above 27.5 degree for two consecutive days and nights during October.

While Darwin and surrounding areas are experiencing warm and muggy conditions this week, temperatures have been much higher further east.

The mercury reached 43 degrees at McArthur River Mine on Tuesday afternoon and 42 degrees at nearby Borroloola and also Ngukurr. This oppressive heat is likely to continue in the coming days, with severe to extreme heatwave conditions forecast to affect the eastern Top End during the remainder of this week and into early next week.

The highest October temperature on record in the NT was 45 degrees at Wave Hill in 2002.