Raindrops aren't falling on our heads this month

The rainfall so far this month? 0.79 inches. The average rainfall for September? 6.5 inches. The reason? Hurricane Ophelia, at least in part.

ST. PETERSBURG - September around here often brings a call of Rain, Rain, Go Away .

This year, the tune is more like I Wish it Would Rain , at least for residents who have lawns turning the color of chicken broth.

And this month is likely to go down as one of the driest Septembers on record.

Just 0.79 inches of rain have fallen at the Tampa International Airport so far this month. That's the same amount that fell in September 1910, the driest September on record, according to the National Weather Service in Ruskin.

An average of about 6.5 inches fall at the airport in a normal September.

"Some rain is expected this week, which would keep this year from tying the record," said National Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Sharp. "Either way, it's been a very dry few weeks."

Hurricane Ophelia is to blame, at least in part.

The storm spent several days earlier this month in the Atlantic Ocean close to the Florida coast. Its counterclockwise rotation dragged drier air down over the central part of the state. The dry air kept many of the normal afternoon thunderstorms from forming.

During the rest of the month, dry air high in the atmosphere had a similar effect, Sharp said.

"We haven't had as much moisture in the atmosphere" he said.

The summer in the Tampa Bay area has been one of weather extremes.

June was one of the wettest Junes since records began in 1890. July and August were among the hottest and driest on record.

Rainfall for the year at the Tampa airport is below average.

The area normally receives 37.7 inches by this time. This year, total rainfall measures only 32.6 inches.

The three below-average months don't constitute a drought and aren't enough to significantly affect the Florida aquifer, which the state relies on for much of its drinking water, Sharp said.

But the lack of rain has allowed some of the area's once swollen rivers to fall well below flood stage. The dry conditions, however, also increase the likelihood and intensity of wildfires.

"That's always a concern when we get below-average rainfall," Sharp said.

--Graham Brink can be reached at 727 893-8406 or brink@sptimes.com

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