THE June heatwave led to 24 million lost hours of work and cost Britain’s economy £1.15 billion, research suggests.

Workers across the country were forced to take time off or adjust their hours during the week beginning June 22 amid record-breaking temperatures.

The heatwave marked the second of three to hit western Europe in just three months this year, causing escalating impacts on health, infrastructure, water resources, farming and wildlife.

Findings from the survey also show 3.6 per cent of respondents — equivalent to approximately 1.25 million workers in the population — did not work at all that week because of the heat.

The study was carried by the London School of Economics’ Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change.

Elizabeth Robinson, director of the Grantham Research Institute, said: “Our findings point to a country that remains insufficiently adapted to the changing climate.

“The government cannot continue to ignore extreme heat.

“Unless it acts now, and makes workplaces safer, we are likely to see growing impacts on workers’ productivity, health, and the economy.”