Calls to dial up heatwave response as temperatures soar

There's a push to recognise heatwaves as natural disasters that endanger communities. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)

Heatwaves and blistering hot days are responsible for more deaths than any other disaster, a reality heat safety advocates want reflected in a national plan.

Following days of maximum temperatures in the high 30Cs and low 40Cs across much of SA, Victoria and NSW border regions, Sweltering Cities executive director Emma Bacon is headed for Parliament House in Canberra to make the case for a stronger federal response to extreme heat.