You can't quite set your watch to them just yet, but the summer rains have begun to arrive in a more widespread fashion.

Showers and thunderstorms broke out across more of the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday, packing heavy rain and lightning in several locations. Much of the same is expected this afternoon and for the next few days.

"I would say we are looking at the beginning of the rainy season," said Richard Rude, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Ruskin.

That is good news for an area that has been thirsting for rainfall the last couple of months.

"We can be excited at the higher rain chances at least in the short term to lower the wildfire danger and water our parched lawns," said Leigh Spann, meteorologist for News Channel 8.

Scores of wildfires are burning across the state, but not many of those are in the immediate Bay area.

Any lightning that does occur could be bad news for bone-dry vegetation.

"When we look at lightning and dry conditions, fire is always a possibility," Rude said.

A high pressure system - often referred to as the Bermuda High - is setting up to the east of Florida to allow the typical summertime pattern that creates the afternoon rains, Spann said.

The clockwise flow around the high creates easterly winds across Florida, the forecasters said.

"Those winds are light enough to still allow a breeze off the Gulf of Mexico to develop and that sea breeze helps to spark the afternoon storms," Spann said.

When the east sea breeze meets the west sea breeze, many times along the Interstate 75 corridor, towering thunderstorms are created from the clashing air masses.

The rain chance is at 40 percent today. It jumps to 50 percent Friday and Saturday.