A chilling warning has been issued to towns in the firing line of a monster cyclone closing in on far north Queensland.

“It is an extremely powerful weather system,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Angus Hines said as Tropical Cyclone Narelle drew ever closer.

“They do not get more powerful than this.”

Narelle was tracking to cross Queensland’s far north coast about 7am on Friday morning (local times), with danger warnings issued to those in its path.

The system was a maximum-strength category five overnight Thursday into Friday.

In the latest update early on Friday, one of the most powerful cyclones in recent history slightly weakened to a category four system.

But conditions remain just as dangerous as it bears down on Australia’s coastline.

Cyclone Narelle is on a path of destruction. Photo: BOM

Hines said Narelle would hang around all day as it slowly tracked across the peninsula from the east to the west coast.

The dangerous storm would arrive about 7am (AEST) and would not be expected to have completely crossed until just before midnight, he told ABC’s News Breakfast.

Narelle was due to cross near Coen, north of Cooktown, triggering downpours and ferocious winds with gusts of more than 270km/h.

An emergency warning urged people to take shelter in the strongest part of the house, such as a bathroom, with winds strong enough to destroy properties, uproot trees and down powerlines.

“Take shelter now in the strongest part of the building you are in,” it said.

Narelle was forecast to move over Cape York Peninsula as a tropical cyclone during Friday while weakening, said the weather bureau’s 4am (AEST) bulletin.

“Narelle 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.”

A cyclone warning zone has been declared, extending from Lockhart River south to Cape Tribulation.

Vulnerable residents have been evacuated, tourists have returned home and schools have closed. More than 100 emergency services personnel have been going 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 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, said.

“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,” Layton said.

“The generators are primed, fingers are crossed and hoping for the best – the calm before the storm, right?”

-AAP