Ireland is being warned of a severely bad winter which is set to see temperatures drop across the country.

Weather forecasters are reporting that an Easterly wind dubbed the "Beast from the East" will result in freezing temperatures and flooding.

According to the UK's Met Office, much wetter conditions are expected over the next few weeks: "A positive North Atlantic Oscillation means precipitation is more likely to be above average. Spells of wet and windy weather may be more frequent than is typical.

"Later in the November-January period, models have a much weaker NAO signal and the risk of occasional colder outbreaks increases.

"Equatorial stratosphere winds are changing from a westerly to an easterly phase, which in winter months is associated with a weaker polar vortex, which can lead to a greater incidence of blocking patterns, increasing the probability of cold weather."

Met Éireann only forecast a week in advance while the Met Office in the UK forecast for a month. They are not warning of a cold snap just yet.

However, international forecasters are predicting that January and February are likely to be the coldest months.

The UK Met Office’s latest winter outlook has put contingency planners on alert to expect high winds and heavier rainfall than usual.

And after storms such as Hurricane Gonzalo battered much of the UK last month, forecasters have warned of more weather fronts heading in from the Atlantic, signalling possible disruption.

A Met Office statement said: “The outlook suggests the continuing risk of our weather coming in from the Atlantic, which brings unsettled conditions, during the first part of the three-month period.

While the Met Office suggested it was typical of this time of year, the outlook for November through January suggests “spells of wet and windy weather may be more frequent than is typical”.

Temperatures are set to be milder than average though, at least until the new year, which is predicted to bring cold snaps.

The statement said: “As the outlook covers the transition from autumn into winter, there can be big changes in how UK weather is influenced by prevailing weather patterns during the period.”

Confidence in how the weather patterns will develop later in the period reduces and this is reflected in the outlook when it states “the risk of occasional colder outbreaks increases later in the period”.

In the more immediate future, the weather experts suggest gales and swathes of rain will hit next week and continue well into December.

A forecast until December 8 said: “Bands of more persistent rain may spread in from the West at times but eastern parts should see the driest interludes. Windy, with gales possible in places, and temperatures mainly near normal. Into the following week, there are indications of a gradual trend for heavier and more persistent spells of rain to affect eastern Britain.

“Current indications show that low pressure is likely to be located to the west of the UK, and as such the most likely scenario is for unsettled weather to continue in most places as we head into December.”