It has been raining quite a bit in Colwyn Bay today but not as bad as what you have experienced Ian but you are correct about the North/South divide.
It's no consolation but it applies to England and Scotland too,
Can you remember how traditionally we used to use a single location in the country to define a white Christmas which was the
Met Office building in London. However, with the increase in betting on where you will see a white Christmas, the number of locations have increased and can now include sites such as Buckingham Palace, Belfast (Aldergrove Airport), Aberdeen (Pittodrie - Aberdeen FC), Edinburgh (Castle), Coronation Street in Manchester and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
No mention of Snowdonia or the Lake District or he Highlands