TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – October has begun just as September ended, hot and dry. Temperatures have been close to records and even the smallest showers have been hard to come by.
Temperatures
In Tampa Bay, this September was the second hottest on record with temperatures running 2.3 degrees hotter than normal. Record-keeping began back in April of 1890. The warmest September on record was last year.
The Sarasota-Bradenton airport recorded their warmest September on record with record-keeping beginning in 1911.
Several other spots in the area ended up being the second warmest as well. Those areas include Winter Haven, Chiefland and Plant City.
Rainfall
The month of September is still considered the rainy season for Tampa Bay. However, the rainy season came to an abrupt end nearly a month ago. With over six inches expected on average, this September came in as the sixth driest.
Tampa saw just under an inch and a half during the whole month. Sarasota came in as the fourth driest while Lakeland and Plant City came in as the third driest. Chiefland, St. Pete and Venice all recorded their driest September on record.
The below-average rainfall has kept much of North Florida in the abnormally dry category. The most recent update increased the severity of the drought for much of the panhandle of Florida.
Tampa Bay is not yet included in this drought, with the exception of Citrus County. September may have been dry for the Bay area but rainfall totals for the entire year have not. There is still a surplus of almost nine inches.
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