Ului has been holding its category four status since Monday when it had been downgraded from a category five and is expected to remain as a category four over the next few days.

The cyclone is still over 1200km off the Queensland coast and the current movement is taking it south, staying well off the Queensland coast through Thursday.

Though the track is still uncertain the current predictions have Ului turning towards the coast on Friday and is most likely to impact the central Queenland coast sometime over the weekend.

While this slow approach may be giving ample time for residents to prepare for impact it is already whipping up the seas.

A strong high in the Tasman and the approaching cyclone are coupling to bring strengthening winds and swells, which will pound the central coast over the next few days.

With the dangerous situations building, evacuations are already underway for Lady Elliot and Heron Island. Elsewhere along the central coast residents are acting early under the watchful eye Tropical Cyclone Ului.