"Given the heat that has been felt from north to south of the country in recent weeks and months, we confirm that it has led to a very high increase in ice consumption", said an official source from Lidl Portugal.

At Lidl, "we seek to work in advance and in effective partnership with our suppliers - and this case is no exception", so "we have been constantly monitoring the situation", especially in stores that record higher sales volume.

“In this sense, for the time being, we do not consider it necessary to limit the sale of ice per customer", concluded the same source.

Auchan Retail Portugal also confirmed to Lusa, that there was an increase in ice sales, but ruled out a rationing for now.

Contacted by Lusa on this topic, an official source from Auchan Retail Portugal stated that “there is, in fact, a significant increase in ice sales” this year.

"We can say that our supplier already has some production/delivery difficulties, but, for now, we don't feel the need for rationing", added the same source.

Pingo Doce said it had not foreseen "any restriction" on the sale of ice in its stores and Intermarché is unaware of any "product rationing" in the Portuguese market.

In Spain, the rationing of ice sales - and the disappearance of the product from supermarkets and petrol stations - came when the product's reserves ran out, the result of a "perfect storm" in which the increase in electricity prices and the heat waves have affected the country since June.

Ice production, in order to meet the usual summer demand, begins in the early months of the year, but in 2021, the increase in electricity prices generated manufacturing and storage costs that led to the shutdown of factories.