BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- China's power generation rose 3.59 percent year on year in June, ending eight consecutive months of decline since October last year, the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) said Friday.

    The increase demonstrated a strong rebound, compared to a 3.54-percent fall in May.

    The country's total power generation reached 309.33 billion kilowatts in June, according to the SGCC's power dispatch center.

    Analysts from both the SGCC and the China Electricity Council said the strong rebound was "within expectations," as falls in previous months had been stabilized. The rebound was also in line with the improving economy.

    They said the rebound was partly a result of increased industrial activity, while high temperatures in late June also boosted the electricity consumption.

    It is the latest statistic that seems to suggest a recovering Chinese economy. The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) released Wednesday stood at 53.2 percent in June, up 0.1 percentage points from May and the fourth consecutive month with a reading above 50,which suggests expansion.

    China's industrial output expanded 8.9 percent in May from a year earlier, the highest monthly growth rate since October last year. The June figure is expected to be announced in mid July.

    Many provinces in north China have been hit by scorching heat since last Wednesday, with temperatures reaching at least 35 degrees Celsius, and in some regions hitting 40 degrees.

    The above-average temperatures had pushed up electricity consumption. In Beijing, consumption peaked at an historic high of12.56 million kilowatts at 4:06 p.m. on June 26.