Tropical Cyclone Narelle is approaching far-north Queensland after forming in the Coral Sea, becoming the third system to impact the sodden area in barely two months.
It is expected to make landfall north of Cairns on Friday, bringing destructive winds, intense rainfall and triggering dangerous flooding.
The cyclone was a category-two system about 1000km east of Cooktown early on Wednesday morning, packing sustained winds near the centre of 110km/h with gusts up to 155km/h.
Cyclone Narelle is expected to impact the coast as a category-four system, unleashing wind gusts of more than 200km/h and likely leading to significant damage to buildings.
It would mark the first category-four system to hit Queensland since Cyclone Debbie in 2017, which devastated the Whitsunday Islands and caused billions of dollars in damage.
Queensland is still reeling from flooding caused by back-to-back storm systems.
A tropical low caused record-breaking rainfall across the state's north and west in February.
Another low crossed the far north coast earlier in March, dumping more heavy rain on the region.
Cyclone Narelle is forecast to move west from Queensland and cross the Gulf of Carpentaria before hitting eastern parts of the Northern Territory, potentially bringing more rain to already swamped Top End communities.
It may then make a rare, third border crossing into Western Australia's north.
A cyclone watch zone is in place from Lockhart River on the Cape York Peninsula south to Port Douglas and adjacent inland areas in Queensland.
Gales with damaging wind gusts up to 120 km/h are possible between Cape Melville and Port Douglas from early Thursday.
Destructive wind gusts up to 155 km/h are possible between Coen and Cooktown north of Cairns from Thursday night.
Heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding is possible between Cape Melville and Port Douglas from Thursday evening, extending inland during Friday.
Tides will be higher than normal between Coen and Port Douglas, the Bureau of Meteorology said, with large waves causing dangerous flooding in low-lying coastal areas.
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