Cyclone Ita shows no sign of weakening as it heads for north Queensland (ABC)

The Bureau of Meteorology says Cyclone Ita, the category-five system bearing down on the far north Queensland coast, is showing no signs of weakening.

Ita is expected to make landfall this afternoon between Cape Melville and Cape Tribulation, coinciding with the high tide.

The weather bureau says the cyclone has very destructive winds of up to 300 kilometres per hour near the core.

At 7:00am (AEST), the system, which has already wreaked havoc in the Solomon Islands, was estimated to be 225 kilometres north-north-east of Cooktown and 375 kilometres north of Cairns, and moving south-west at 11kph.

Senior weather forecaster Vikash Prasad says Ita poses a serious threat to coastal communities.

"The current track projects the system to move fairly close to but north of Cape Flattery, so anywhere between Cape Melville and Cape Flattery it is likely to make landfall this afternoon or evening," Mr Prasad said.

A cyclone warning is current from Lockhart River to Innisfail including Cooktown, Port Douglas and Cairns, and extending inland to areas including Kalinga, Palmerville, Mareeba and Chillagoe.

The weather bureau says the cyclone is the most severe system it has seen approach the Queensland coast since Cyclone Yasi in 2011.

It warns that the Cassowary Coast could receive up to 300 millimetres of rain every six hours for several days after Ita hits.

Cooktown resident Ivan Juff says locals are nervous but he has decided to stay put.

"I've seen what Cyclone Larry and all those did, and this is up there with them ... (but) I live here. I'm not going anywhere else," he said.

"All the council blokes, they've all got families and houses and that too and they'd be in the same boat as me.

"They're worried about the whole show. We'll get through it."

Hope Vale Shire banana farmer Kenny Reid is among those bracing for massive crop losses.

"It's always in the laps of the gods I guess, but we will do what all farmers do - head down, bum up after the event and we'll do what we need to do to bring it back to its feet," he said.

Structures could be vulnerable

Councils in the region say they are prepared for electricity supply to be cut to some communities for up to a month.

Swift water rescue crews and SES volunteers are on standby in Cooktown and Cairns.

Cooktown residents are being warned that properties built before 1985 may not be able to withstand Ita's impact.

It is believed one third of dwellings in the town of about 2,400 people could be vulnerable and Premier Campbell Newman has urged people in those houses to seek shelter elsewhere.

Sue Brennan is one resident who has decided to remain at home.

"We're building a house, so we've locked down that house and tied the trailers to trees and stuff like that with chains," she said.

"We're forgetting about up the top and just going downstairs underneath in a smaller room with the shower and toilet and food."

Mr Newman has warned that Ita had the potential to cause large storm surges similar to those created by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines last November.

He says a category-five cyclone is as bad as it gets.

"Frankly I don't know if we all understand enough about the impacts of storm surge," he said.

"Think about some of the photos we saw or the footage we saw of the Philippines last year - that's the sort of thing that can happen. Beachside properties are the ones that it impacted.

"Now I stress that at this stage that's not the problem, but if the track changes and moves further south then that is the sort of impact you can have."

The weather bureau says the sea is "likely to rise steadily up to a level which will be significantly above the normal tide, with damaging waves, strong currents and flooding of low-lying areas extending some way inland".

"People living in areas likely to be affected by this flooding should take measures to protect their property as much as possible and be prepared to follow instructions regarding evacuation of the area if advised to do so by the authorities," it said.

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