Apple has warned investors that it will miss its revenue forecast for this spring due to the devastating impact of coronavirus on the Chinese economy.

The company had previously said that it expected to report net sales of between $63bn (£48bn) and $67bn in the three months ending this June, a wider than usual range that it blamed on "uncertainty "over the epidemic.

But late on Monday, in a letter to investors, Apple admitted that it would miss even those targets because the disease had strangled the supply of new iPhones and crushed customer demand as it forced the company to shut down factories and closed high street shops.

It is the second time in the last 13 months that Apple has had to cut its forecasts due to problems in China, where it makes most of its products and more than one tenth of its revenue. The company did not give any new predicted numbers.

The letter said: "Our quarterly guidance issued on January 28, 2020 reflected the best information available at the time, as well as our best estimates about the pace of return to work following the end of the extended Chinese New Year holiday on February 10.

"Work is starting to resume around the country, but we are experiencing a slower return to normal conditions than we had anticipated. As a result, we do not expect to meet the revenue guidance we provided for the March quarter...

"Our first priority – now and always – is the health and safety of our employees, supply chain partners, customers and the communities in which we operate. Our profound gratitude is with those on the front lines of confronting this public health emergency."