The Bureau of Meteorology has extended its cyclone watch area to include parts of central Queensland, as a low pressure system intensifies in the Coral Sea.
Residents living along the 1000km stretch of coast between Cape Tribulation and Saint Lawrence, south of Mackay, have been urged to prepare ahead of its likely impact this weekend.
The weather system is expected to develop into tropical cyclone Debbie on Saturday.
Currently located about 650km east of Cairns, it is expected to start to move in a south-westerly direction towards the far north Queensland coast.
The Bureau of Meteorology's forecast map predicts it could intensify to a Category 3 cyclone, with wind gusts of more than 165km per hour, before it hits landfall late on Monday or early Tuesday.
The BoM confirmed it had widened its watch zone to include places like Mackay and St Lawrence in its second tropical cyclone advice message, released on Friday afternoon.
Gale force winds are not expected over the next 24 hours, but residents have been warned they could be affected by the weather system from Saturday night.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will convene the Queensland Disaster Management Committee in Brisbane on Saturday.
It will be briefed by the BoM, Queensland Police Service and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.
Fire and Emergency Services Minister Mark Ryan urged residents in the state's far north to sit down with their families and come up with an action plan.
"Make sure you have an emergency kit and check that it is well stocked with supplies including food, water, warm clothes, medication, first aid supplies, important documents, valuables, a battery-powered or wind-up radio and sleeping gear," he said in a statement on Friday.
"Take steps to prepare your property. Clear your gutters and ensure your yard is clear of any green waste and loose branches."
