This low developed near Willis Island over 5-6 June 1990 as a very large high moved into the Tasman Sea. It reached peak intensity around 9am, 8th June with a central of pressure of 992hPa. It was then located east of Bowen and two thirds of the way out to the northern tip of New Caledonia.

The large sysem was 1033hPa high in the Tasman so that there was an enormous area of gales south of the low extending down to Northern NSW.The 10 m sloop Rockin Robin was sunk 927 km off Bundaberg. The crew radioed a May Day message at 2200 UTC 7 June 1990.

A rescue aircraft dropped a life raft and the crew of 4 took to it on 8 June 1990 but were never seen again. The crew of two on the dismasted 11m sloop Banshee were rescued by a Taiwanese freighter after a long unsuccessful air search was abandoned. They were rolled by two large waves 556 km east of Rockhampton on the 7 June 1990 local time.

However, the crew of two on the yacht Squizz were rescued by the surf-lifesaving Jet rescue boat in the open ocean near Brisbane. There was severe beach erosion on the Gold Coast removing all the sand following and extensive beach replenishment operation.

This event is classified as an East Coast Low.

More about East Coast Lows

Harden Up
Bureau of Meteorology
The Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research report