The Government has launched a new website to help people to prepare for the winter months.

Those affected by last winter’s flooding in particular are urged to check out WinterReady.ie.

It provides a range of planning resources.

Gerald Fleming from Met Eireann says we are unlikely to see a winter similar to last year, but it is too early to tell.

He said: “Probably you will all have seen stories in the media in the last few weeks, the what I call the annual Halloween scare stories about the hard winter, but that’s all they are.

“There are no scientific grounds for believing that the winter will be exceptionally harsh or will be windy or exceptionally wet. However, we have to say that we just don’t know beyond the next two or three weeks.

“I think every year we have to emphasise that the science of weather forecasting is such – in this part of the world – that forecasting a season ahead is really an impossible business.”

The current wintery spell is set to continue, for now at least, with Met Eireann predicting heavy showers with the possibility of hail and thunder over the coming days.

Through a dedicated website, winterready.ie the new campaign brings together a range of emergency services including the gardaí, HSE and the Office of Public Works to provide categorised advice for different situations.

The campaign aims to inform on how best to prepare for the winter and reassure the public that preparations are underway to “ensure a coordinated response to severe weather events”.

The assembled ministers stressed that the main message behind the campaign is “to be prepared, stay safe and know where to find help if you need it.”