June heatwave cost UK economy £1.15 billion in lost work hours, study finds

LONDON — An extreme heatwave in the final week of June caused a 24-hour loss in working time across the United Kingdom, costing the economy £1.15 billion (approximately $1.53 billion), according to new research. Temperatures reached record June levels during the week beginning 22 June, forcing workers to take leave or adjust their hours. The analysis was carried out by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, together with a Mediterranean climate change center. Based on a survey of 1,950 people, the study found that average working hours in the last week of June fell by 0.47 hours per worker. Researchers determined that employees in physically demanding, heat-exposed sectors such as construction and agriculture shortened their working hours far more than those in less-affected occupations such as academic work. The study also found that the heatwave disrupted sleep patterns and altered the way people worked during the period.