South Korea's electricity consumption reached a record monthly high last month, as the country was gripped by a sweltering heat wave, the power operator said Tuesday.

The country's average maximum power consumption came to 82,007 megawatts (MW) in July, up 1 percent from a year earlier, according to the Korea Power Exchange (KPX).

It marked the highest level since the government began compiling related data in 2005. The previous record was set in July 2021, when the figure stood at 81,158 MW.

The power reserve ratio had also fallen below 10 percent three times last month, the KPX said. The country should have a reserve ratio of 10 percent or more in order to maintain a stable power supply and prepare for emergencies.

The rising demand came as the country experienced a heat wave and tropical nights. The average temperature for the month came to 26 C, higher than usual, the weather agency said.

Industrial power use has also grown recently recovering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to industry ministry officials.

"We will strive to secure additional reserve power without a hitch, while implementing measures to reduce power consumption, mainly at public institutions," a ministry official said. (Yonhap)