An urgent warning has been issued about critical gas shortages expected to last for months as a cold snap hits Australia.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has warned that critical gas supplies are running low, potentially affecting New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory.

In a public alert on Thursday, AEMO cautioned that recent gas supply and demand trends for these southern jurisdictions indicate a potential for gas supply shortfalls due to the depletion of southern storage inventories.

“The supply of gas in all or part of the East Coast gas system may be inadequate to meet demand,” the warning notice stated.