May’s output was lifted by an uptick in the services sector as sunshine boosted consumer spending.
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UK GDP grew by 0.4% month-to-month in May, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed on Thursday.
The reading comes after a flat result in April and is double the total predicted by analysts.
Growth was primarily driven by services output, which rose by 0.3% – the fifth consecutive monthly jump.
Production output was also up 0.2%, while construction increased by 1.9%.
This is positive news for the sector previously affected by wet weather as construction dropped by 1.1% in April.
“It’s amazing what a bit of warm weather can do,” said Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell.
“As temperatures soared to record highs for the month of May, shoppers shopped, builders built and lots of us downed a nice cold pint.”
Even so, Hewson suggested that monthly…
