Manchester would be a medium/small town without it's damp weather. Cotton fibre could be manipulated much better than where it was grown in a dry climate. The cotton mills needed heavy machinery, which spawned the steel mills which fed the heavy engineering industry. The dye industry grew to feed the textile mills. These were the core drivers of Manchester's growth, with the associated peripherals like finance, transport hospitals etc. All down to a damp climate. Living in a mediterranean climate, the difference can be a bit hard to deal with for some, wives/g.friends in particular.