High chance of north Qld cyclone forming

Queensland is set for its first cyclone in two years with the weather bureau forecasting one to form off the far northern coast this weekend.

The Bureau of Meteorology on Thursday afternoon said there was a "high chance" a low pressure system off Papua New Guinea would develop into a cyclone in the Coral Sea on Sunday.

The system is forecast to drift southwards for the next 24-36 hours before turning west towards the Queensland coast late on Friday or Saturday.

There is a low chance it will turn into a cyclone on Friday, but on Saturday that likelihood increases to moderate.

It's a "high" (more than 50 per cent) possibility on Sunday and the bureau says it could make landfall anywhere between Cooktown and Mackay.

"It's too early to speculate about the cyclone's intensity, forecast path and where it will make landfall, however, we will get a clearer picture in the coming days," BoM Queensland regional director Bruce Gunn said in a statement on Thursday.

"Communities in north Queensland should begin their preparations now, stay tuned for the latest official forecasts and warnings from the Bureau and follow the advice of local emergency services."

There have been three tropical cyclones this season - Yvette in December, Alfred in February and Blanche in March - but the last cyclone to cross the Queensland coast was Nathan in March 2015.