A Major Flood Warning has been issued in Northern Queensland.

The Bureau of Meteorology is warning communities in the Townsville area to prepare for further widespread heavy falls and flooding over the weekend and well into next week.

The area has already received extraordinary rainfall over the past week.

A Major Flood Warning has been issued for the Ross and Bohle Rivers, where record flood levels are being recorded at Aplin Weir on the Ross River.

Flooding of properties in low-lying areas is expected as early as Friday afternoon.

Other areas of immediate concern include the Haughton River, south of Townsville, where record flood levels reached at Major Creek on Friday morning.

The Flood Watch area includes coastal catchments from Daintree to Mackay, which includes Cairns, Townsville, and also parts of western Cape York Peninsula and Gulf.

Members of the community are being urged to follow the advice of local emergency services, and are reminded never to enter flood waters.

Anyone requiring SES assistance should call 132 500. If the situation is life-threatening, you should call Triple Zero (000) immediately.

Photo: Andrew Rankin / AAP