Heavy rain continues to fall on parts of far north Queensland ahead of a possible cyclone off the coast.
A severe weather warning for damaging winds and heavy rainfall was issued for the eastern Cape York Peninsula on Saturday after a tropical low formed 200km northeast of the region.
The system, moving slowly west, will bring the risk of flash flooding and gusts of up to 90km/h to the far north region but is not certain to make landfall.
A cyclone could form around the peninsula on Sunday morning if the tropical low strengthens, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
"It'll continue to strengthen and we could see a potential cyclone developing. It's not likely today but there's a moderate chance tomorrow and a high chance by Monday," the bureau's Harry Clark told AAP on Saturday.
"That's most likely in the northwest Coral Sea but it might be in the Gulf of Carpentaria instead."
The warning comes after a 34-year-old woman went missing after being seen walking into fast-flowing Wallaby Creek at Rossville, north of Cairns, as she travelled home around 6pm on Thursday.
Authorities suspended the search for her on Saturday afternoon and are expected to resume looking on Sunday morning.
Parts of the far north region have received more than 400mm of rainfall in the past week, with flood warnings in place for the Daintree and Mossman rivers.
A flood watch has been issued for areas north of Cardwell, which has had its wettest December on record with more than 1000mm of rain.
Cairns and Cooktown have recorded their wettest December since 1975.
"The rain at the moment is due to the monsoon trough. You have north-westerlies coming down from the tropics and they collide with the south-easterly winds from a high near New Zealand," Mr Clark said.
"The rainfall will continue up there for much of the next week in, really, Cairns northward.
"There's the potential for 100-200mm per day, dependant on the movement of the tropical low."
