Admit it: you're currently feeling somewhere between uncomfortably warm and on the verge of spontaneously combusting.
Inevitably, this heat has created a work environment that humans simply aren't adapted for. "We're essentially tropical animals that have evolved to be mostly naked and resting in a climate of around 26°C," says Professor Mike Tipton from the Extreme Environments Laboratory at the University of Portsmouth.
However, there are plenty of other simple, scientifically supported techniques that will help you handle the heat. Here are four of the best.
If you're feeling the heat and somebody offers you a fan, it's likely that you'll try and cool your face first. However, according to Tipton, this is far from the quickest way of lowering your body temperature.
Instead, a better cooling strategy is to immerse your hands in cold water for 15 to 20 minutes. "Your hands have a high surface area to mass area – they have lots of blood flowing in them when you're hot. If your core temperature is hot, your body will send blood to the extremities in order to lose heat," explains Tipton.
"Immersing your hands in cold water won't feel as nice, but it'll cool you much faster than even an ice bath!"
Abruptly immersing your entire body in chilly water is, as strange as it sounds, a very slow way of cooling your body during a heatwave.
"Putting one area of your body in cold water is fine, but cover too much surface in it, and your body will actually constrict the amount of blood that reaches your skin," says Tipton.
In short: skip the ice bath and opt for a tepid shower instead. The ideal temperature will depend on your body and the heat outside, but Tipton suggests that water that feels relatively warm is the best option.
Yes, the old wives' tale is true: sipping a warm drink will cool you down faster than knocking back icy water.
"It's not about trying to cool your body directly, but activating the systems – such as sweating, moving blood to your skin – that will," Tipton says.
"Think about it: around 60 per cent of the human body is water – that's around 40 litres. Adding one glass of cold fluids isn't going to make much difference. It's a drop in the ocean," explains Tipton.
There's one big caveat with this hot drinks tactic, however. If you do opt for a steaming beverage, best not to make it a coffee or tea. Caffeine, along with alcohol, can raise your body's metabolic rate, causing it to generate more heat.
In other words, it's time to rummage out that forgotten box of mint tea tucked away at the back of your cupboard.
We get it: 'fan yourself when hot' hardly seems like game-changing advice. However, it's important you fan as wide an area of your body as possible.
Why? Well, a fan doesn't cool your body just by displacing the warm air in contact with your skin – it helps sweat evaporate too. By only fanning your face, you are limited to enhancing evaporation in a very small portion of your body.
During an extreme heatwave, this can be a big problem. "When the temperature reaches around 35°C, the only real way to cool the body is through sweating," says Tipton.
When possible, consider using a non-electric hand fan to generate a refreshing breeze or promote natural airflow by opening multiple windows.