While the south of the nation shivers through yet another cold blast, the Northern Territory's Top End is sweltering as temperatures soar into the mid 30s. Darwin soared to 34.4 degrees at around 1:30pm, making it the hottest July day for five years. Batchelor fell just short of 35 degrees, however it also reached 35.6 degrees yesterday, its hottest July day in six years. Combining with a dry and gusty southeasterly flow, fire danger is soaring to severe levels, with a total fire ban in force for the Darwin, Batchelor, Adelaide River and Pine Creek Emergency Response Areas. The cause of the hot, fiery conditions has been clear skies combining with a high pressure system over the Bight, pushing the hot, dry and gusty southeasterly winds across the region. Temperatures will cool down by a couple of degrees from tomorrow as cooler air reaches the region, however daytime temperatures will still remain warmer than average.