Households have been warned to 'be ready' for a national crisis in a new campaign launched by Andy Burnham's Government.

Stockpiling three days of food and water, and having enough cash to get by if the electronic payments system collapses are among the precautions recommended.

The checklist of measures - which people are urged to print out and keep handy - also includes having a wind-up or battery radio, and a power pack to charge devices if the power goes off.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the guidance would help people brace for events such as wildfires, flooding and cyber attacks. However, senior officials and military figures have also been highlighting the risk of sabotage or even a strike by Russia. 

Mr Streeting insisted 'everyone needs to do their bit' - with a radio and social media campaign set to spread the message in the coming weeks. 

However, the Government seems to have taken a very low-key approach to the launch, activating the site without fanfare months after Keir Starmer's administration signalled the campaign was coming.

Mr Streeting's comments came at a launch for an entirely different Government announcement. 

The advice emerged as organisations around the world scramble to fix a critical security flaw in the programming language PHP, used by the majority of websites.

Downing Street said no large UK public-facing critical services have been affected – but 32 Government websites have gone dark while issues are resolved.

National Cyber Security Centre experts are working with OpenAI, whose technology was used to discover the vulnerabilities, and partners around the globe to address potential problems, a No10 spokeswoman said.

Speaking at the opening of the UK Gun Hall Plant in Telford, Mr Streeting said of the message to the public: 'Are they prepared for the eventuality that there may be disruption to essential supply chains caused by hostile state actors or terrorists? 

'How would we cope if the payment systems of the local supermarket went down?

'Those are the sorts of everyday challenges and threats that we could well face, and it is right that we ask the country to be ready for those things and to ask everyone to do their bit.'

The Be Ready site suggests the principle should be to have enough supplies for three days so people can 'manage while support reaches those most in need'. 

That includes three litres per person per day for drinking and more for 'other tasks such as cooking and washing'.

The stockpile also needs to feature 'food with a long shelf life that doesn't need refrigeration or cooking eg tinned meat, fish or vegetables, dried fruit and nuts. 

'It's best to buy food you'd usually eat,' the site said. 

Blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothing are recommended because 'homes can become cold very quickly when the heating goes off'. Torches are better than candles, seemingly because of fire risk. 

Turning to the cash, the guidance suggested keeping a 'mix of coins and notes... in case electronic payments or ATMs are disrupted'. 

'The amount of cash you should keep depends on your family's specific needs for essentials,' the site said. 

'Have printed copies of important documents such as passports, birth certificates, insurance policy details and instructions for any medical equipment you rely on.'

As well as getting a wind-up or battery radio, households were told: 'For updates during outages, write down frequencies of any national or local radio stations you use for news.' 

Families with babies are informed that ready-made or 'ready-to-feed' formula is best, as 'you may not be able to boil water to make up powdered formula safely'. 

Britons are urged to 'see what you already have' in the way of essentials and note down 'what you still need, remembering items your family relies on, such as medical supplies, baby formula or pet food'.

An emergency stockpile can be assembled 'gradually', according to the advice.

'Pick up missing items when you can during your regular shopping trips to help spread the cost,' the site said.

Households should then 'check it regularly'. 'Set a reminder every six months to check expiry dates and swap out items that need replacing, or update your kit if your household's needs have changed.'

The site added: 'Talk to your neighbours about what extra support you might be able to share during an outage and swap contact details.'

The Be Ready site said: 'You could consider keeping some essential items you might need to take with you if asked to leave your home quickly in a spare bag – you might hear some people call this a "grab bag".'

In another section, it added: 'Pack a few essential items in your car boot to make sure you're ready in case of getting stuck in wintry weather – this can include a torch, in-car phone charger, warm clothes and blankets, high-visibility clothing, jump leads, food and drink, and a shovel for snow. It can also be helpful to keep a first aid kit in your car.' 

The head of the army, Sir Roly Walker, said last week that the Government needed to start a 'frank conversation' with the public about the need to prepare for war. 

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said today that 'those who can' follow the preparedness advice should – stressing similar guidance was issued in France, Ireland and the Netherlands. 

'By taking simple steps to be ready for everyday emergencies like severe storms, people can reduce pressure on emergency services, helping them prioritise people who need more support in an emergency,' he said. 

'This is just the sort of community-focused campaign the UK needs to improve our resilience as a nation. It will bring us into line with European counterparts, where advice like this is a normal part of everyday life. '