May 23 (Reuters) - Sterling bulls are making hay while the sun shines, and hoping the foreign exchange market and the weather, continue to smile on them through the summer months.

Data published on Friday showed UK retail sales rose by a much higher than expected 1.2% MM in April, helped by an unusual amount of sunshine.

The data beat underpins the expectation that the Bank of England will leave interest rates unchanged in June, following its relatively hawkish rate cut on May 8.

It also lifted GBP/USD to 1.3493, its highest level since February 2022.

CFTC data on FX positioning due at 1930 GMT will show if the net GBP long rose ahead of Wednesday's hotter-than-expected UK inflation data -- which also buoyed sterling -- after falling for the first time since mid-April in the week ended May 13, by 7% to 27,216 contracts.

Related comments:
GBPUSD

(Robert Howard is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)