In a report, published this week, the Committee on Climate Change said that “many homes, hospitals and care homes” were already at risk of overheating and this would get worse as the UK’s climate is expected to warm.

It said the introduction of zero carbon homes standard in 2016 was “likely to exacerbate” the problem if no steps were taken to mitigate it.

It recommended that the government introduce new standards, possibly in building regulations, to mitigate the effect of overheating in new homes and other buildings. It also found that the UK’s infrastructure was still at increasing risk of flooding and storms and would require significant adaptation to cope with the UK’s changing climate.

It said: “Many homes, hospitals and care homes are already at risk of overheating. By the 2040s, half of all summers are expected to be as hot, or hotter, than in 2003 when tens of thousands of people across Europe died prematurely.

Lord Krebs, chair of the Adaptation Sub-Committee of the Committee on Climate Change, which wrote the report said “A standard or requirement is needed in order to ensure new homes are built to take account of the health risks of overheating now and in the future.”

He added: “Despite the disruption experienced by many in the storms this winter, the impacts would have been much worse if it hadn’t been for past investment in flood defences, and in flood forecasting and emergency planning. “This is a clear demonstration of the benefits that result from investing in greater resilience, but there is no room for complacency.”