Queensland’s Cyclone Kimi has strengthened to a Category 2 and shifted south, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned.

While the weather system may stall offshore, the bureau says it remains unpredictable and destructive winds up to 150 kmh and heavy rainfall leading to major flooding are possible.

The cyclone warning zone covers Innisfail to Ayr, including Lucinda, Palm Island and Townsville. The cyclone watch zone extends to include Bowen.

“Tropical Cyclone Kimi has intensified to a Category 2 cyclone. It is currently moving south-southeast and is likely to continue this movement through tonight, but is now expected to slow and stall off the coast between Hinchinbrook Island and Townsville on Tuesday while beginning to weaken,” the latest bureau advice says.

“However, considerable uncertainty remains with the future movement of the system, and a Category 2 coastal crossing between Hinchinbrook Island and Townsville tonight or on Tuesday remains possible.”

Queensland was battered earlier this month by ex-Tropical Cyclone Imogen, which crossed the coast on January 3 and brought flooding across a wide area from Innisfail to Airlie Beach.

However, the damage was nowhere near as severe as the floods that hit Townsville in February 2019.