July has seen unprecedented heat waves and wild fires in the US and Canada while catastrophic floods hit Germany and Belgium in recent weeks. Late July also brought some very hot weather to the UK and early August is predicted to bringing more spells of strong heat. Although the sunshine is most welcome after our uninspiring spring and early summer weather, we only need to look at the extraordinary climatic conditions across the US West Coast to realize that extreme heat can also bring its own set of dangers.

In June I visited the Ventnor Botanic Gardens on the south coast of the Isle of Wight for the first time. These twenty-two acre subtropical gardens have an unusual climate which is more akin to the Mediterranean region which enables a wide variety of plants considered too tender for much of mainland Britain to be grown there. Many subtropical plants and trees benefit from the moist and sheltered microclimate of the south facing under-cliff next to the sea, an area which is virtually frost free. Scientists have been tracking the effects of climate change in the garden for over a hundred years which show that it is now about five degrees hotter than the rest of the UK. This makes it an ideal location to research the future effects of climate change in the UK as the temperature warms.

The therapeutic benefits of the naturalistic spa tradition with its emphasis on bathing in hot springs and having a direct sensory experience, has been well documented within many cultures. Above all, the traditional spa approach encompasses a pleasurable, sensual and body-focused route to optimum health - but this does not mean that it does not equally well benefit those with mental or psychological problems. In fact, this form of natural therapy is a particularly beneficial type of treatment for our modern age since it helps remedy all types of conditions that are exacerbated by stress and psychological distress, such as depression, insomnia, mental anxiety and nervous exhaustion