School closures and travel delays as Arctic air brings snow and sleet to parts of the UK

LONDON (AP) — Dozens of schools closed and road and train travel ground to a halt in many parts of the U.K. on Tuesday as a cold snap brought snow, ice and sleet across the country.

Britain's weather forecasters, the Met Office, issued snow and ice warnings and said an Arctic maritime air mass was spreading from the northern U.K. southwards. Power cuts may occur and rural areas could be cut off due to the severe weather, it said.

Around 200 schools across the U.K. closed their gates, while thousands of commuters faced disruption to their journeys as dozens of train services were cancelled or delayed by snow on the tracks.

A Stagecoach bus toppled onto its side on Tuesday in Scotland due to icy road conditions. One passenger was on board and there were no injuries.

The Met Office said up to 5 centimeters (2 inches) of snow is likely to blanket many parts of the country, with up to 20 centimeters expected to accumulate at higher altitudes. Much of the U.K. saw sub-zero temperatures overnight on Monday, with the thermostat dropping to 11 degrees Celsius below zero (12 degrees Fahrenheit) in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

The UK Health Security Agency issued its first cold weather health alert of the season, saying conditions could be dangerous for elderly and other vulnerable people.

People walk along the Oxford Street as snow falls in London, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Snow falls in Camden market in London, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jill Lawless)

Horses on the gallops during snowfall at Sam Drinkwater's Granary Stables, Strensham, Worcestershire, Britain, Tuesday Nov. 19, 2024. PA (David Davies/PA via AP)

People walk through a park covered in snow after the overnight snowfall in Buxton, Derbyshire, Britain, Tuesday Nov. 19, 2024. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

A person walks down a street during snowfall in Warwick, England, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (Jacob King/PA Wire/PA via AP)

A car moves on the A57 Snake Pass between snowy fields near Glossop, England, Tuesday Nov. 19, 2024. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)

People ride horses after a snowfall at Sam Drinkwater's Granary Stables, Strensham, England, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (David Davies/PA via AP)

An aerial view of the snow in Holmfirth, west Yorkshire, Tuesday Nov. 19, 2024. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)

People play in the snow on the hills of Buxton, Derbyshire, Britain, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

A person walks their dog during snowfall in Warwick, England, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (Jacob King/PA Wire/PA via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart ratcheted up sales and profits again in the third quarter with its comparatively low prices proving a powerful draw for shoppers seeking to cut spending where they could.

The nation’s largest retailer raised its outlook for the year as well, underscoring its confidence in a strong holiday shopping season. The company's shares rose nearly 4% in premarket trading Tuesday.

Walmart is among the first major U.S. retailers to report quarterly results and provides a peek into how Americans are feeling as they head into the holiday season.

Industry analysts expect consumers to show up in force, though sales may not meet last year spending levels by Americans.

A post-pandemic inflation spike sent prices about 20% higher overall compared with three years ago and it soured Americans’ outlook on the economy, a key reason given by voters for sending Donald Trump back to the White House.

Yet even as many complained of how costs have strained household budgets, strong consumer spending, continues to drive steady growth in the U.S. economy. Retail sales rose 0.4% from September to October, the Commerce Department said Friday, a solid increase though it was half of the previous month’s jump.

Walmart, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, reported net income of $4.58 billion, or 57 cents per share, in the three months ended Oct. 31. That compares with $453 billion, or 6 cents per share in the year-ago period.

Adjusted earnings were 58 cents per share, five cents better than Wall Street had expected, according to a survey by FactSet.

Sales rose 5.5% to $169.59 billion, up from $160.8 billion in the year-ago period, and also easily beat analyst projections.

Comparable store sales — which include online and stores open for the past 12 months — rose 5.3% in the U.S. That is an acceleration from the 4.2% jump in the U.S. in the second quarter and 3.8% in the first quarter.

Sales reflect broad-based strength across all product categories and physical and digital channels, the company said.

The number of transactions and the average amount customers spent during each of those transactions at Walmart was higher in this quarter than it was during the same three months last year.

Global e-commerce sales rose 27%, compared with 21% in the fiscal second and first quarter.

Analysts will be sifting through Walmart’s results and may seek more information from company executives regarding Trump’s proposed tariffs during a conference call Tuesday. Trump has vowed that he’ll put a 60% tariff on goods from China — and a tariff of up to 20% on everything else the United States imports.

Companies have already rerouted some production away from China, but an aggressive trade policy could accelerate those plans.

Shoe brand Steve Madden announced earlier this month that it will be be cutting the goods that it imports from China by as much as 45% next year.

For the current fiscal year, Walmart expects earnings per share in the range of $2.42 to $2.47. That’s up from its August projections for per-share earnings of between $2.35 and $2.43. Analysts expect $2.45 per share, according to FactSet.

The company also expects sales to increase by 4.8% to 5.1% for the year, up from a range of 3.75% to 4.75%.

FILE - People buy groceries at a Walmart Superstore in Secaucus, New Jersey, July 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File)

FILE - People walk by the Walmart booth during the CES tech show on Jan. 9, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)