If you thought September was hotter and dryer than average, you were right.
The National Weather Service says the month was the hottest September in the Sarasota/Bradenton area and the second hottest in Tampa.
It was also dry -- the sixth driest September in Tampa and the fourth driest in Sarasota/Bradenton.
The average monthly high temperature was 93 degrees in Sarasota/Bradenton and 92 in Tampa. That's four degrees higher than the historical averages for September in both areas.
The above average heat in September effected the entire Southeast, said Megan Borowski, a meteorologist with the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network.
“The main cause was the pattern of the atmosphere,” Borowski said. “We had rounds of high pressure ridges that are associated with hot and dry air repeatedly building in the region.”
The lack of rainfall in September, didn’t help the temperature, she said.
Tampa received 1.46 inches of rain, or 4.84 inches below average, according to the National Weather Service. Sarasota/Bradenton received 1.99 inches of rain, or 5.11 inches below average.
Borowski said it's hard to predict what the entire month of October will be like but it’s shaping up to be another hot one.
“The latest data suggests that October will be warmer than average for our area,” she said. “As far as rainfall goes, that should be closer to average or even above average this month.”
