Cyclone Ita heads south

Gales up to 100 kilometres per hour and 400mm of rain are likely to hit parts of north Queensland on Sunday as Cyclone Ita moves south.

A cyclone warning has been issued for a 1000km stretch of the coast, with flash flooding, high tides and torrential rain expected.

The category one storm, which crossed the coast north of Cooktown as a category four storm on Friday, is 40 kilometres north of Townsville and is slowly tracking south parallel to the coast.

Ita tore through populated areas, including Cairns, on Saturday night causing minor damage to buildings, power outages and flooding.

On Saturday night about 12,000 people were without power across the far north and emergency crews responded to 130 cyclone-related calls by Sunday morning.

Most were about minor damage to homes and flooding.

Premier Campbell Newman will tour Hope Vale on Sunday morning, surveying the damage and talking to locals, some of whom remain without power or mobile phone service.

As the cyclone moves south, gusts up to 100km/h gales and abnormally high tides are expected between Townsville and Mackay on Sunday, but the sea level should not exceed the highest tide of the year.

Rainfalls of 100mm and 350mm have been recorded since 9am on Saturday.

Heavy rain is battering areas from Rollingstone to Proserpine and up to 400mm could be dumped on areas as far south as Yeppoon in the next 24 hours.

Flood warnings remain for a number of major northern rivers including the Daintree which peaked at 10 metres above flood levels on Saturday.

Cyclone Ita should move further southeast into the Coral Sea and away from the Queensland coast during Monday and Tuesday.

"As it heads further southeast it will transition into a strong subtropical low," Bureau of Meteorology spokesman Ken Kato told AAP.

Townsville's airport has been closed as well as the Bruce Highway between Ingham and Townsville.

Hinchinbrook shire mayor Rodger Bow says flood waters in Ingham will remain high for hours.

"Flooding in Ingham will last until Sunday night, nine or 10 o'clock tonight, but Halifax will still be flooded until Monday morning," Mr Bow told ABC radio.