Residents are urged to take immediate shelter as Tropical Cyclone Narelle brings very destructive winds of more than 270km/h near its centre when it crosses Queensland's Cape York Peninsula on Friday morning.
After intensifying in the Coral Sea to a peak category five system on Thursday, the Bureau of Meteorology confirmed the system had been downgraded early Friday, but warned conditions remained very dangerous.
The monster storm is expected to make landfall about 7am AEST on Friday near the remote community of Coen, north of Cairns, triggering downpours and ferocious winds that could "blow apart sheds".
Emergency alerts have been issued urging residents in the remote communities of Lockhart River, Coen, and Port Stewart to take immediate shelter.
"Take shelter now in the strongest part of the building you are in," the warning said.
Meteorologist Angus Hines said on Thursday afternoon that Narelle was an extremely powerful weather system.
"They do not get more powerful than this."
It was set to be the first category five system to hit Cape York since Cyclone Mahina killed more than 300 people in March 1899.
Wind gusts of up to more than 250km/h are expected to be unleashed when the system makes landfall - strong enough to destroy infrastructure, uproot trees and down powerlines.
"Narelle is forecast to move over Cape York Peninsula as a tropical cyclone during Friday while weakening," the Bureau warned.
"(It) will then continue to move west across the Gulf of Carpentaria, and expected to strengthen again to a severe tropical cyclone before impacting the eastern Northern Territory from late Saturday."
Vulnerable residents have been evacuated, tourists have returned home and schools have closed.
More than 100 emergency services personnel have been deployed as police go door-to-door to ensure locals are prepared.
After crossing Cape York, the storm is expected to lash the Northern Territory's Top End before moving to Western Australia's Kimberley coast.
About 500 people will be evacuated from NT's remote Gulf of Carpentaria community of Numbulwar in the coming days.
Residents choosing to ride out the storm have been warned emergency services will not respond if conditions are too dangerous.
However, some far north Queensland residents reckon they will be fine - they have beer.
"Everyone's line of thought is that you can't actually do anything during a cyclone, so let's have a beer," Tim Layton, of Greenhoose family-run accommodation near the Lockhart River, told AAP.
"Let's make it a cyclone party because there's going to be one hell of a clean-up."
His family is no stranger to storms, with flooded roads every wet season ensuring the only way in or out is by plane or barge.
"We're all battened down," Mr Layton said.
"The generators are primed, fingers are crossed and hoping for the best - the calm before the storm, right?"
