Inflation in the UK reached a new three-decade high in February, accelerating to a 6.2% annual rate, and is expected to rise further in the coming months on higher energy and other commodity prices.

This is the highest rate since March 1992 — when prices rose at an annual pace of 7.1% — and beats the 6.0% rate expected by economists polled by The Wall Street Journal. In January, consumer prices increased 5.5% on year, according to the data from the Office for National Statistics.