Christmas cyclone looms for far north Qld

There's a high chance a tropical cyclone will form off Queensland just before Christmas, the weather bureau warns.

The cyclone is most likely to impact the western side of the Cape York Peninsula and the southern Gulf of Carpentaria.

But exactly when it will make landfall and its strength are, at this point, unclear.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Kev Hutchins says a monsoon trough is strengthening while a tropical low is expected to form over the Gulf on Monday.

"It may develop into a tropical cyclone on Tuesday or Wednesday," Mr Hutchins told AAP.

"It's possible that it is going to move in a southeast direction through the Gulf of Carpentaria."

There was a 20 to 50 per cent chance a tropical cyclone would develop on Tuesday, he said.

However, that would increase to more than 50 per cent by Wednesday.

The weather bureau has urged those living in the western Cape York Peninsula and southern Gulf of Carpentaria to get their cyclone plans in place.