Olga Miltsova/Alamy
In Spain recently, in temperatures around 34°C, the ice cubes in my drink took far longer to melt compared with at home, where it is much colder. Why the difference?
Guy Cox
Sydney, Australia
The rate at which ice cubes melt depends on the temperature of the drink, not the ambient temperature. In my experience, Spanish cafes and bars keep their drinks very cold, which obviously makes sense when it is 34°C (93°F).
In England, on the other hand, drinks and mixers are often not refrigerated at all and just rely on ice cubes to cool…
