Queenslanders should brace themselves to be soaked over the next few days, as the Bureau of Meteorology warns of exceptionally high rainfall levels all over the state as Tropical Cyclone Owen crosses the coast at Cape York.

Everywhere from Cairns to the Gold Coast can expect maximum levels of at least 200mm from tomorrow to Monday, with Townsville predicted to see up to 250mm, and Bundaberg as much as 330mm.

The North and Central coasts can expect more rain than the South East with Cairns, Townsville and Mackay expecting to see maximums between 230-250mm.

Everywhere from the Sunshine Coast to Toowoomba are predicted to see up to 200-235mm.

The BOM said that “most of Queensland” can expect thunderstorms on Thursday, with severe systems already occurring near Longreach, Cunnamulla and Winton.

A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for parts of the Central West, Maranoa, Warrego, Darling Downs and Granite Belt regions, with damaging winds and large hailstones likely.

A spokesman from BOM also warned of potential damaging winds in other areas across the state as the cyclone passes through.

Cairns to Mackay should prepare for extreme winds on Saturday, and everywhere from Mackay to the Gold Coast should prepare for the same on Sunday.

The BOM has advised the cyclone has strengthened to category 3 and is currently on the coast between Port Roper and Port McArthur, just west of Bing Bong in the Northern Territory.

It is expected to be a category 4 system when it crosses a remote part of the Queensland coast between Kowanyama and Gilbert River Mouth, likely on Friday.

The cyclone could dump 300 to 400mm of rain on parts of the Cape York Peninsula.

Communities between Karumba to Pormpuraaw, on the western side of the Cape, are on alert for the possibility of a direct hit.

But east coast communities could also see very heavy rainfall over the weekend.

Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford says swift-water rescue crews and emergency personnel are on stand-by to be sent to communities that could be hard-hit.

And there are fears that regions in central Queensland already devastated by bushfires could be vulnerable to landslides if expected rainfall totals of 100mm-200mm are reached.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk this morning said authorities were particularly concerned about the road from Mackay to Eungella in central Queensland.

“Once you have bushfires through an area with large amounts of rain you then have potential for landslides so we are making sure that we cover all bases,” she said.

She said she was “very happy” with the extensive planning for the cyclone in some of the state’s most remote communities.

But she warned Cyclone Owen would lead to a “whole lot of rain” along the state’s east coast and residents should be alert to changing conditions.

Bureau of Meteorology weather services manager Richard Wardle said even after the cyclone system lost intensity as it tracked along the east coast it would bring “high impact weather” as far as the southeast corner.

“As it tracks further south the winds will diminish but we will still see some squally weather and that’s why we think there’ll be, locally, some very destructive winds and we’ll see some really heavy rainfall totals” he said.

“It’ll be in a short period of time so it’s more likely to be the flash flooding that people will experience.”

Most of the Queensland east coast from Cairns to Fraser Island has been put on flood watch with BOM forecasters expecting catchments to reach minor or moderate flood levels in the coming days.

Dr Wardle said the wild weather should reach southeast Queensland on Sunday however another system currently over the west of the state could bring showers and severe thunderstorms from tomorrow.

“Some of those thunderstorms will be severe and they could bring very damaging winds, heavy rainfall and large hail,” he said.

He said that upper trough system would bring welcome relief to some drought parched regions of the state’s southern interior from this afternoon.

“A lot Queensland is going to be impacted by rain in the next couple of days either in the north with Tropical Cyclone Owen or in the southern interior and the southeast with those thunderstorms,” he said.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster James Taylor today told ABC radio Owen could be dragged southward, along Queensland’s east coast, with the help of a low pressure system expected to develop over Victoria.

“It’ll be the upper trough that develops the low over southeastern Victoria that drags Tropical Cyclone Owen towards the east, and probably southeastward, over the weekend,” he told ABC radio.

“That creates a potential threat for large parts of the eastern Queensland coast, particular from flash flooding.”

Mr Taylor said Owen could do what Cyclone Oswald did in 2013, and track south along Queensland’s east coast, bringing driving rain with it.

“Is there potential for that to happen with this cyclone? Yes. But we won’t be able to be certain about it probably until Friday afternoon, when we know were Owen is in relation to that upper trough.”

Unfortunately, there seems to be little relief in sight for the state’s drought zones.

Over half the state remains drought-declared, with Queensland’s historic stock routes closed to graziers for the first time in living memory as severe drought conditions continue.

The State Government estimates Queensland is 58.1 per cent in drought, up from 57 per cent in July.