BOM watching tropical low off Qld coast

A tropical low off the Queensland coast may develop into a cyclone but is expected to move further offshore, the weather bureau says.

Though the low poses no immediate threat to the Sunshine State, it may produce increased swells at some beaches.

"For the next three or four days at least it will track away from the Queensland coast," Bureau of Meteorology spokesman Jess Carey told AAP.

"The only impacts would be maybe some swell on the southern exposed beaches."

The Tropical Cyclone Warning centre issued a bulletin on Thursday, saying the low was located over the Coral Sea about 990km east northeast of Mackay.

The low might become a tropical cyclone overnight or early Friday, the centre said.

Mr Carey said the system was expected to track in a southeasterly direction for the next few days, although it was hard to predict anything beyond that.

If the tropical low forms into a cyclone it would be called Tatiana.

It would be Queensland's first cyclone of the season after a low near the Gulf of Carpentaria around Christmas fizzled out.

Mr Carey said although El Nino conditions typically meant fewer cyclones, Queenslanders shouldn't be complacent.

Two severe cyclones impacted the north last year and this cyclone season was far from over.

"February and March are traditionally the two wettest and most cyclone-prone months," he said.

"We only need one strong one in the wrong place to make it a big year."

AAP mjg/jsm/gb