Cyclone developed east of Mackay (5th) and moved down just seawards of the Sunshine Coast by 7th. It then moved back up north to the east of Yeppoon.

Four people drowned on the evening of the 8th. Two near Nambour when the car went into a creek and two near Yandina after their car became stranded. Average winds of 40 to 55 knots were reported along the South Coast from 8 am 5th until 10pm 8th.

A ship reported average winds of 60 knots off Stradbroke Island at 3pm 6th while another ship reported winds of 74 knots off the Gold Coast at 3pm 7th. Trees and power line were borught down throughout southeast Qld causing widespread blackouts. Some houses were unroofed at Kingaroy and near Warwick.

The South Nobby wave recording station on the Gold Coast reported significant wave heights to 5.2 metres and maximum wave heights to 8.7 metres. The 1600 ton cargo ship Cherry Venture was driven ashore 1.5 km south of Double Island Point on the afternoon of the 8th after foundering in forty foot waves.

Twenty four rainfall totals recorded 9am 8th included 384mm Nambour; 349mm Woodford; 340 Mapleton; 335mm Maleny and 328mm Springbrook(7th ) . Many roads in southeast Qld were cut by floods and in Gympie 6 feet of water was over Mary St on the night of the 8th. The Mary R at Gympie peaked at 19.6 metres at 2am on the 9th with houses shops and factories under 2 m of water.

This event is classified as an East Coast Low.

More about East Coast Lows
Harden Up
Bureau of Meteorology website
The Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research report