In a true rarity for Scotland, we've all been experiencing scorching hot temperatures that seem to have lasted for weeks now.
And while it's been amazing getting to spend more time outdoors without wearing one million layers, it's less fun being inside at home and not getting that same aircon experience that those in the US are often lucky to have.
Houses in the UK are simply not built to survive hot weather, so like everyone else, I've been desperate to find ways to keep cool. According to scientists from the University of Ottawa’s School of Human Kinetic, one way to do this is drinking a hot coffee or tea, which apparently makes you sweat more and regulates your body temperature in the process.
Coffee is the one thing that motivates me the most to get out of bed in the morning, but recently I've barely been able to face it as it's just been too hot to handle.
But after researching the theory that hot coffee can cool you down, I decided to carry out a little experiment with both hot and iced coffee to truly see which one brought me the most relief.
First up to try was a steaming hot double black coffee. Even though it was only 8.30am as I was preparing it, it was already unbearably hot in my flat, so safe to say I wasn't looking forward to drinking it.
But for the sake of journalism I sat down and began to sip.
Scientists have said that when drinking something hot, a signal is sent to the brain, ordering your body to sweat more. This evaporates and helps us to cool down, and we supposedly lose more heat than is gained from the drink itself.
I unfortunately didn't experience this, as the hot coffee didn't quite make me sweat, but it definitely warmed me up - not ideal as it was already sweltering hot even with all the windows open.
The double shot gave me the boost I needed first thing in the morning, but that was where the hot coffee's appeal ended. By the time I'd finished I was fighting for my life, desperate for something that would actually cool me down.
And this is when I went against the advice of scientists and tried an iced beverage instead. The mere thought of something ice-cold was practically making me jump for joy so I went out to grab a bag of ice, carrying it up the stairs like it was my first-born child.
I filled a glass with ice and added an espresso shot, topped it up with some soya milk, and gave it a quick stir to make sure it was fully mixed up.
Even with the first sip, I instantly felt much more relief from the heat than with the hot coffee. It was much more enjoyable all-round, and I made sure to really savour every drink I took.
The experience of holding the ice-cold glass also really helped, which I obviously didn't get with the first option.
And afterwards, I definitely felt like it had cooled me down much more than the hot coffee did - even though it was later in the day and therefore even hotter inside.
I had been really keen to test out the hot coffee theory as I would have been so impressed if it worked, but sadly it just wasn't for me.
People who live in hot European countries are known for being partial to a hot coffee to help them cool down. But maybe we Scots just aren't acclimatised to this yet, as I'll definitely be reaching for the iced drinks while the heatwave is ongoing.
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