Peter Wells: Tributes flow for granddad killed when his car was swept away by Queensland floodwaters during massive rain bomb descending across Australia’s east coast

A grandfather whose ute was swept away in floodwaters has been remembered as a kind member of his community and car enthusiast.

Peter Wells, 71, was driving near his home on Begley Rd in Greenbank, south-west Brisbane, overnight when his car was inundated with water.

The flooding was triggered by torrential rain that affected huge swathes of New South Wales and Queensland over the next three days.

Greenbank alone copped 150mm overnight. 

Mr Wells’ ute was found 50 metres down a river embankment, wedged between trees, on a private property at about 5.20am on Thursday.

Mr Wells’ ute (pictured) was found 50 metres down a river embankment, wedged between trees, on a private property about 5.20am on Thursday

Friend and neighbour Keith Draper told the Courier Mail the grandfather was a genuine family man who loved helping his community.

He was known around the world for collecting vintage Chevrolets. 

‘I only met him eight or nine years ago and we became really good friends. We did a lot of things for each other, car things. He was just a lovely man,’ Mr Draper said. 

‘I just cannot believe he died this way. Just down the road from his own house.’ 

Mr Draper described Mr Wells as a ‘humble’ man and panel beater who worked on vintage vehicles.

He recalled how Mr Wells would often help him with his own mechanic business.

‘He would drop everything and help me out,’ Mr Draper said.

Mr Wells leaves behind his wife Beverley, children and grandchildren.

Mr Draper said the  couple were high school sweethearts. 

‘He would always tell stories of how he would take her out in his father’s car, how he would court her.’

The rain was set to start falling on Thursday morning in southeast Queensland before moving down into New South Wales in the afternoon. 

Greenbank copped 150mm of torrential rain overnight and Thursday as part of a rain bomb hitting Queensland and NSW (pictured, damage in Greenbank)

The most severe weather will be seen on Friday with widespread falls of 50mm to 100mm of rain expected to hammer down from Brisbane to the NSW South Coast.

A major flood warning has been issued for the Bremer River at Walloon, with moderate flooding already developing in the area. 

Weatherzone’s Joel Pippard said: ‘Some models are showing rainfall as high as 80-150 mm falling in just six hours, with severe thunderstorms possible in these regions,’ he said.

‘Similar heavy falls are also possible for the NSW Northern Tablelands, North West Slopes and Plains, and Queensland’s Darling Downs and Granite Belt during Thursday and Friday mornings.’

Thunderstorms were also possible over northeastern NSW and southeastern Queensland on Thursday afternoon.

High swells and winds with gusts of up to 100km/hour are also on the forecast.

The reason for the wild weather is the combination of an upper-level low pressure system and a coastal trough forming off the east coast.

This coastal trough will funnel tropical moisture from the north, resulting in intense rainfall.

Mr Wells was described as a ‘humble’ man and panel beater who worked on vintage vehicles (pictured, Mr Wells’ ute)

Miriam Bradbury from the Bureau of Meteorology warned the heaviest rains and strongest winds will be seen on Friday.

‘As we go through the later part of Thursday into Friday, that’s when we’ll see the most severe weather starting to ramp up as a trough deepens off the east coast of NSW,’ she said.

‘Rainfall of this magnitude can lead to flash flooding.’

The wild weather is set to ease on Saturday as the system moves further south.