Whitsundays on high alert as cyclone Iris intensifies into a category three system

She's unpredictable and ever-changing. Cyclone Iris is back for round two.

After first forming in the Coral Sea closer to Fiji almost two weeks ago, Iris is now menacing Queensland.

For the latest on Cyclone Iris, watch the TODAY Show tomorrow from 5.30am AEST.

We're spending the night in Shute Harbour, which is already feeling her wrath.

We've spotted a yacht torn from its mooring.

Palm trees are bending and there's that unmistakeable hiss as winds buffet the Whitsunday coast.

Gusts at nearby Hamilton Island are already registering at 100km/h and the worst is yet to come.

They could peak at 130km/h and up to 200mm of rain is set to fall.

Iris is a category two storm and by tomorrow she could be a category three.

Even though she's not expected to cross the coast, Iris will still pack quite the punch as she tracks along it for the next couple of days.

It's not just the Whitsundays but also Bowen to the north and Mackay to the south which are in Iris's sights.

Driving around Shute Harbour you can see that this part of the world is still very much recovering from Cyclone Debbie which hit at almost exactly the same time last year.

The hotel where we are staying tonight is still under repair as yet another cyclone threatens.