Tropical Cyclone Owen strengthens, to hit Queensland coast on Friday
Tropical Cyclone Owen has strengthened to a category 3 and is expected to become category 4, with wind gusts of more than 205km/h and up to 400 millimetres of rain likely.
The Bureau of Meteorology expected Owen to cross the far north Queensland coast, between Karumba to Pormpuraaw, on Friday.
Further south, separate upper and surface troughs were forecast to combine and produce more severe weather in south-east Queensland at the weekend.
The severe system intensified to category 3 on Thursday morning and was forecast to upgrade to category 4 on Thursday night or Friday morning.
A category 4 system can tear roofs off homes, blow away caravans, create dangerous airborne debris and widespread power loss, according to the bureau.
"Very destructive winds with gusts to 205 kilometres per hour are likely right near the centre," the weather bureau warned.
"Heavy rainfall, which may lead to flash flooding, is likely to develop about the islands and coastal areas of the western and southern Gulf of Carpentaria during Thursday."
The bureau added that heavy rainfall of 300 to 400 millimetres was also likely across southern Cape York Peninsula later on Friday and Saturday.
"From Port McArthur to Karumba, a storm tide may develop and tides may rise significantly above the normal high tide, with damaging waves and minor flooding.
"Tides will be higher than normal and large waves may produce minor flooding between Port Roper and Alyangula."
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk would chair a meeting of the disaster management committee on Thursday.
Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford said swift-water rescue crews and emergency personnel were on standby to be sent to communities that could be hard-hit.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster James Taylor told ABC radio Owen could do what Cyclone Oswald did in 2013, and track south along Queensland's east coast, bringing driving rain.
Meteorologist Nicholas Shera could not say whether the tail-end of Tropical Cyclone Owen would reach the south-east but it was going to be a wet weekend regardless.
Council staff on Mornington Island, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, were being evacuated and residents were also considering whether to flee or batten down the hatches.
Mornington Island Council chief executive Frank Mills said "persistent" requests to state and federal governments for a cyclone shelter to be installed on the island had been unanswered.
- with AAP