Tropical cyclone Niran has developed off the north Queensland coast but is not expected to make landfall - moving slowly northeast, away from the coast.

Niran is a Category 1, sustained winds near the centre of 75 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 120 kilometres per hour and is estimated to be 235 kilometres northeast of Cairns and 270 kilometres north northeast of Innisfail moving northeast at 15 kilometres per hour.

The cyclone is expected to continue moving slowly to the northeast during today, before becoming slow-moving or drifting back slowly to the west this evening into Wednesday. Niran is expected to continue intensifying over the following two days.

A coastal crossing by the core of the cyclone is not expected, however gales may develop within the warning zone late this evening or Wednesday morning if the cyclone adopts a track further to the west.

In the longer term, the system is expected to take a southeasterly track away from the coast from Thursday.

In the North West there is no rain forecast till at least Friday and it will remain very hot and sunny with max temps around 40 degrees all this week for Mount Isa.

In the Gulf country it will be hot and mostly sunny and a slight (20%) chance of a shower near the east coast,

A trough over interior parts will slowly move eastwards over the next few days, extending offshore of southeast coastal parts late on Tuesday, before being pushed back westwards by a strengthening ridge along the coast from Wednesday.

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