Photo shows empty shelves of ice cubes in a supermarket in Madrid, Spain. Spain is witnessing a serious shortage of bags of ice, due to high production and storage costs caused by rapid increase in electricity prices as well as high demand brought about by hot weather. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)

Photo taken on Aug. 7, 2022 shows a notice of purchase limits on ice cubes in a supermarket in Madrid, Spain. Spain is witnessing a serious shortage of bags of ice, due to high production and storage costs. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)

Ice is a hot commodity in Spain, with supermarkets limiting how much people can buy and bars running low on cubes for sangrias and cocktails due to scorching heatwaves and high energy prices. At the start of the year, ice makers held back from producing their usual stockpiles because of soaring power bills and uncertainty about summertime demand following the COVID pandemic. /REUTERS/JUAN MEDINA/

Empty supermarket freezer shelves where bags of ice should be are now common across Spain, with consumers turning to petrol stations and smaller corner shops to find supplies. /REUTERS/JUAN MEDINA/