Schools in storm-ravaged southeast Queensland will remain closed on Friday.
The aftermath of Cyclone Debbie has caused huge rainfall in southeast Queensland, leading the state government to on Thursday close all public, private and independent schools.
Despite predictions the weather would ease on Friday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said they wanted to be sure students, from Agnes Water south to the NSW border, weren't put at any risk
Ms Palaszczuk apologised to parents and carers for the inconvenience of shutting schools on Thursday.
"But I won't [apologise] for putting safety front and centre," she said in Brisbane on Thursday afternoon.
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad earlier said the closures were made based on the forecasts of heavy rains.
The torrential downpour occurred as expected with between 200mm and 400mm falling in the southeast in the 12 hours until midday on Thursday.
"The state Disaster Management Committee has made the decision to close all schools in southeast Queensland between Agnes Waters and to the NSW border and out west to Nanango," Ms Trad said.
"We've made this decision based on updated forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology."
She said any students who'd already been dropped at school would be cared for, but she urged parents to pick them up as soon as possible.
The premier said the worst weather had been forecast for Thursday afternoon, when schools were to break, and experts had recommended all people stay indoors and off flooded roads.
"What we didn't want to see was people going out and picking up their children ... at a time this weather event is only going to get worse," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"We are making that same decision for tomorrow because we don't want to put people's lives at risk.
"These decisions are not made lightly, they are made because we are facing severe weather."
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