A humidification apparatus for providing humidified gases to patients, the humidification apparatus comprising: a humidification chamber configured to hold a volume of liquid, the chamber comprising: a side wall ; a top wall connected to the side wall ; an inlet extending through at least one of the side wall and the top wal ; and an outlet extending through at least one of the top wall and the side wall , a gas flow path being defined within the humidification chamber between the inlet and the outlet ; wherein: at least a first portion of at least one of the side wall and the top wall is configured to allow for, in use of the humidification apparatus, increased heat loss from gases in the gas flow path compared to a second portion of at least one of the side wall and the top wall such that, in use of the humidification apparatus, gases in the gas flow path lose heat through at least the at least a first portion , such that a temperature of said gases is lowered; the at least a first portion configured to cause increased heat loss has a thermal conductivity higher than the second portion of the at least one of the side wall and the top wall ; and the at least a first portion configured to cause increased heat loss is positioned in a region of the at least one of the side wall and the top wall configured to be above normal water operating level in use. a humidification chamber configured to hold a volume of liquid, the chamber comprising: a side wall ; a top wall connected to the side wall ; an inlet extending through at least one of the side wall and the top wal ; a side wall ; a top wall connected to the side wall ; an inlet extending through at least one of the side wall and the top wal ; and an outlet extending through at least one of the top wall and the side wall , a gas flow path being defined within the humidification chamber between the inlet and the outlet ; wherein: at least a first portion of at least one of the side wall and the top wall is configured to allow for, in use of the humidification apparatus, increased heat loss from gases in the gas flow path compared to a second portion of at least one of the side wall and the top wall such that, in use of the humidification apparatus, gases in the gas flow path lose heat through at least the at least a first portion , such that a temperature of said gases is lowered; the at least a first portion configured to cause increased heat loss has a thermal conductivity higher than the second portion of the at least one of the side wall and the top wall ; and the at least a first portion configured to cause increased heat loss is positioned in a region of the at least one of the side wall and the top wall configured to be above normal water operating level in use. at least a first portion of at least one of the side wall and the top wall is configured to allow for, in use of the humidification apparatus, increased heat loss from gases in the gas flow path compared to a second portion of at least one of the side wall and the top wall such that, in use of the humidification apparatus, gases in the gas flow path lose heat through at least the at least a first portion , such that a temperature of said gases is lowered; the at least a first portion configured to cause increased heat loss has a thermal conductivity higher than the second portion of the at least one of the side wall and the top wall ; and the at least a first portion configured to cause increased heat loss is positioned in a region of the at least one of the side wall and the top wall configured to be above normal water operating level in use. <EOS>