Cyclone Ita predicted to reach category four off far north Queensland (ABC)

The weather bureau expects Tropical Cyclone Ita to strengthen to a category four system before crossing the far north Queensland coast around Friday evening.

The bureau warns the cyclone is set to be the most severe Queensland has seen since Yasi struck in 2011.

It has issued a cyclone watch for Cape York communities between Port Douglas and Cape Grenville, north of Cairns, as Ita continues to move west at 10 kilometres per hour.

The cyclone is about 900 kilometres east of Lockhart River and is expected to cross the coast between the Aboriginal community and Cape Flattery on Friday.

Forecaster Michael Knepp says it is likely to be a destructive category-four system when it makes landfall.

"This is the most intense tropical storm since Yasi, so we're always going to get a little bit tense about this," he said.

"Thankfully if it does [keep to the] forecast track, it's going to be away from any populated areas.

"But if it does track down the coast, quite a few major population areas are going to be affected."

Bureau spokesman Greg Connor says it is expected to pose a significant threat, with torrential rain and winds of up to 280 kilometres per hour.

"Very destructive winds and this will be around the core and we'll also get gales extending some distance from the centre," he said.

You can see the current warnings on the ABC's Emergency page.

Cape York communities prepare for cyclone

State Emergency Service spokesman Wayne Coutts says people living in the watch alert area need to be on alert.

"That means the cyclone could impact there in the next 48 hours, so people need to pay attention," he said.

"Even though the bureau has the line coming down into sort of the Cape Melville area, people around there need to start thinking about that and start taking precautions."

Mr Coutts says residents in the state's far north know what to expect.

"I think there's great response from the communities directly in the path, especially Lockhard River - they've made a lot of arrangements, through to Coen and Cooktown," he said.

Mr Coutts says some towns could be in for a rough time.

"Quite a decent population obviously at Port Douglas and Cooktown, north of there - remote area with really only the main communities of Coen and Lockhart," he said.

Emergency Services Minister Jack Dempsey says authorities are hoping the cyclone will not track further south towards Cairns.

"We'll always plan for the worst and hope for the best," he said.

"The logistics and the manpower have already gone into those places to assist the community."

Acting Chief Superintendent Brett Schaefferius says police are monitoring the weather alerts closely.

"The tracking at this stage of where it's going to cross - it's not going to cross in a large urban area," he said.

"Notwithstanding that, clearly the local communities on the Cape need to be preparing well and truly now for what is to come over the coming days."

North Queensland warned against complacency

Cook Shire Mayor Peter Scott says the town of Coen, north of Cairns, has run out of diesel, but says there is enough to run the local generator and supply emergency vehicles.

Councillor Scott is warning against complacency.

He says the local disaster management group is meeting today to prepare for the cyclone.

"Get your own personal supplies together, get your own personal disaster management plans in place," he said.

He has urged people travelling in the region to be cautious.

"The roads are in a reasonable condition through to Coen, but further north from that there was some damage incurred earlier in the year and the roads aren't terribly flash north of Coen," he said.

"But for the travelling public generally, think very seriously about going north with the cyclone coming in.

"If you are going make sure you've got plenty of fuel to get past Coen and further north."

Cairns Mayor Bob Manning says they are preparing for the worst because things can change quickly.

He says disaster services are preparing in case Cyclone Ita tracks further south and hits the city.

"I remember with Yasi just before we went to bed that night the reports were showing it coming pretty much at Cairns," he said.

"I checked a few hours later and it was starting to turn down the coast a bit - you really don't know.

"We've got to take the best information that's available to us at the time and continually watch the reports.

"We take these things very, very seriously - we base our actions on the reports - the next 24 hours will give us a much clearer picture."

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