Weather and climate affect the wealth of a country. Where the climate is too inhospitable to grow much food, or for farmers to raise livestock, a country may have to import much of its foodstuffs. If they have no other sources of natural wealth, such as mining or oil, they may be restricted in their growth.

Countries where there is regular drought may be subject to famine and disease if the economy is not managed properly and valuable resources are exported rather than re-invested. Many developing countries rely on growing 'cash crops' which they can export and this may limit the amount of self sufficiency they can maintain in a time of crisis.

Countries with good climates for agriculture can both feed their people and export the surplus, growing rich enough to diversify into other types of work.

Every year, we hear about natural disasters and 'acts of God' which wipe out crops, sometimes entire harvests, and cause millions of pounds of damage. Many weather events have the power to do this. Storms, hail, extreme cold, extreme heat, and flooding can all kill crops and animals - as well as people. Indirectly, weather events can also cause disease, a rise in pest populations, bushfires, and some say even civil disturbances and riots.

The stock market has trading on future harvests and periods of natural disaster may cause the market to fluctute wildly. Insurance companies may suffer losses of billions of pounds, also destabilising certain industries as their losses and premiums mount up. Delays and penalties to international trade, construction work and manufacturing can also be affected greatly by weather events.