China’s electricity consumption for the month of July hit a record high due to the lingering heat wave in large areas of the country, data showed Tuesday.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the State Grid of China and China Southern Power Grid based the assessment on the electrical load of power grids in 24 provinces.
The report said China’s highest electricity demand in a single day up to July 25 reached a record 1.75 billion kilowatt hours.
The sweltering heat has lasted for almost 20 days, with temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius in 19 provinces and districts this month.
Jiangsu province topped the list for electricity use, consuming some 10 million kilowatts of energy as of July 24.
Wang Yuling, vice director of the National Electric Power Dispatching and Control Center, said the province’s electricity consumption is even higher than the countries of South Korea and Australia.
Due to the high demand, Wang said power supply companies have strengthened monitoring of their equipment to ensure the safe and stable operation of the power grids.
The meteorological department has forecasted that high temperatures in eastern and central China could last until the early part of August.