All schools in Queensland's southeast corner have been ordered to close due to bad weather caused by former tropical cyclone Debbie.
The government said the wild weather meant schools would be closed for the day, with the worst of the high winds and very heavy rain expected on Thursday.
From Friday the system is forecast to move offshore, but Police Commissioner Ian Stewart has warned of very dangerous conditions until then.
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said the closures were about protecting people's lives.
"The state Disaster Management Committee has made the decision to close all schools in southeast Queensland between Agnes Waters and the to the New South Wales border and out west to Nanango," she 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.
