Sales of air conditioners in South Korea are on a roll as heat-battered consumers are rushing to escape the scorching weather, market watchers said Tuesday.

Sales at major retailers jumped more than 20 percent in July from a year earlier, while they skyrocketed between 240-260 percent in the last few days of the month when the mercury hovered above 33 degrees Celsius in most parts of the country, according to the watchers.

Due to a spike in demand, consumers have to wait a week on average for their new air conditioners to be installed, according to electronics appliance makers.

The booming demand comes as a relief to the industry that has been daunted by sluggish sales amid a global economic slowdown and rainy days in early summer.

Air conditioner sales this year so far are estimated to be around 15-20 percent smaller compared with the previous year.

Market watchers, however, projected sales to gather ground if the extreme heat wave continues.

“Annual sales are likely to recover despite views they will suffer from an economic downturn. The weather is the variable,” said an industry official. (Yonhap News)