The number of hot days in Australia has doubled in the past 50 years, leading experts to warn that the country is underprepared to deal with heatwaves.

A new report from the Climate Council revealed more people have died during heatwaves in the last century than in bushfires, cyclones, earthquakes, floods and severe storms combined.

It comes as Australia swelters through the warmest start to March in recent years, and Sydney is experiencing it's longest stretch of days over 26 degrees on record.

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Australia is unprepared to deal with the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves, a new report reveals

A new study from the Climate Council has found the hotter it gets the more people are hospitalised

'The Silent Killer: Climate change and the impact of extreme heat' said that climate change is causing 'longer, hotter and more intense heatwaves' than ever before.

BY THE NUMBERS: WHAT ARE THE KEY FINDINGS OF THE STUDY? 2015 was the hottest year on record in Australia

More people have died during heatwaves since 1890 than all other natural disasters combined

The number of hot days per year have doubled since 1960

During the heatwave in southeast Australia in January-February 2009, emergency calls jumped by 46 per cent

The elderly, very young, and people with medical conditions are most vulnerable during heatwaves

Deaths during these extreme heat events are expected to continue to increase *Source: Climate Council Australia Advertisement

As deaths from extreme heat events rise, the pressure is also being placed on healthcare systems who are ill-equipped to deal with the increasing demand.

Australia's growing and ageing population also increases the pressure on emergency services as more people means more people at risk.

'During the heatwave in southeast Australia in January-February 2009, emergency call-outs jumped by 46 per cent,' the report said.

'Cases involving heat-related illness jumped 34-fold; and cardiac arrests almost tripled in Victoria,' the report also revealed.

Those most at risk are the elderly, very young, those with pre-existing health conditions and people who work outdoors.

Dr Elizabeth Hanna, one of the authors of the report, said that heatwaves are often underestimated in Australia and should be treated like other extreme weather events.

'Our argument is no-one should die from heat in Australia,' Dr Hanna told the ABC.

2015 was Australia's hottest year on record with more heatwaves than any other year on record

The global temperature is rising and with it heat-related deaths are increasing

Author of the report Dr Elizabeth Hanna said Australia needs to have a plan in place to deal with the heatwaves

She added that it was 'sheer lunacy' that sporting events were still held during extreme heat, and Australia should take the same approach that America does during blizzards and 'shut down'.

'So Australia's probably looking at times where we really have to get very serious about what we do in these very hazardous heatwaves,' she said.

The report also revealed the threat to people living or working in large urban areas, explaining that temperatures could be higher there as heat gets trapped between buildings.

Annual air temperatures of dense urban areas can be 1-3°C hotter than surrounding areas, while in the evening the difference could be up to 12°C.

People who work outdoors or in enclosed indoor spaces without adequate ventilation are extremely susceptible to heat-related illnesses.

Annual air temperatures of dense urban areas can be 1-3°C hotter than surrounding areas