Wind batters Cooktown as Ita arrives (AAP)

Howling winds are battering Cooktown as severe tropical cyclone Ita crosses the far north Queensland coast, a resident says.

Russell Bowman, who owns a local fishing tackle shop, opted to stay with his family and pets in his house.

"It's very very gusty now. I guess the next hour or two will be the real tell. There are some big gusts blasting through and there's sweeping rain with the wind now," he told the ABC.

"I've seen some comments on social media that there are some trees down and some roofs gone as well but we've heard nothing just near to us to indicate anything.

"We're in a little bit of a hollow here so we are just tucked down and waiting.

"I'm sure we're going to wake up to quite a bit of devastation in the morning."

The storm is intensifying, with trees being stripped of their leaves and debris picked up in the wind, Mr Bowman said.

"The wind is just starting to really howl at the moment. I think that we are starting to see the effects of the cyclone now."

Power was cut about 9.30pm, he said, but his shop has a back-up generator and the family could relocate there once the threat of storm surge has passed.

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