North Queensland motorists have been slammed as "reckless and stupid" for taking needless risks in driving through rising floodwaters.
A heavy two-day downpour has cut multiple roads and forced evacuations in the region, with parents even having to wade through floodwaters to collect their children from a Deeragun childcare centre.
Highlighting the deluge, almost 400mm of rain fell in the 24 hours to 4pm on Thursday in Bluewater, northwest of Townsville, with other areas receiving nearly 300mm.
Flash flooding caused the Bruce Highway, south of Townsville, to be closed and a number of local roads were also cut.
But despite the Queensland government's long-time message of "If it's flooded, forget it", many motorists were seen taking risks.
Queensland Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford was quick to criticise the "irresponsible" and "reckless" behaviour.
"That is a complete exercise in stupidity that when you know there is a major weather system coming, you know the roads are going to be flooded... and still you drive your car through flooded water," Mr Crawford said in Cairns.
"It puts the hardworking people at QFES at risk, hardworking people who have to divert away from what they're doing to go and rescue you when you do something absolutely stupid."
Mr Crawford said if people didn't heed the warnings, the government would consider changing penalties associated with driving through floodwaters.
Two schools and three childcare centres were closed and an evacuation centre opened in Bluewater as the low-pressure system dumped torrential rain.
Extra water rescue crews were deployed to the region, with a person rescued from the top of their car at Saunders Beach on Thursday morning.
Emergency services attended numerous crashes include a semi-rollover at Roseneath, south of Townsville, while the SES had 60 call-outs from Wednesday afternoon.
There were mudslides around Townsville, as well as some sewerage overflows.
It's expected the wet weather will move to the west of the state in the coming days, with Townsville's rainfall set to gradually ease by Friday.
The downpour has had an upside, with Townsville's Ross River Dam reaching 70 per cent capacity, a jump of 55 per cent since the lows experienced in early January.
