Doyle Rice

USA TODAY

When it comes to weather, Florida is usually known for humidity and hurricanes. But now, drought is making news in the Sunshine State.

Sixty-six percent of the state is now in a drought, the highest percentage of any U.S. state, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Parts of the state north of Lake Okeechobee are now enduring "extreme" drought, the second-worst level.

If the drought persists — which is expected — this could mean major crop and pasture losses, as well as widespread water shortages and restrictions, the Drought Monitor said. Burn bans, which prohibit the burning of yard debris, campfires, and bonfires, have already been issued across the state.

The drought has escalated dramatically since early February, when none of the state was in a drought.

Across the country, Florida's drought is the exception: Less than 5% of the U.S. is now in a drought, the lowest percentage in at least the past 17 years. Only Florida and a portion of northern Georgia are seeing extreme drought.

Not surprisingly, the drought is due to an ongoing lack of rainfall. "Drier than normal conditions have persisted for several months" in Florida, the National Weather Service said. Many Florida cities have seen far less rain than usual this year. Tampa has only seen about 5 inches of rain, compared to an average of about 10 inches.

Many other cities, including Jacksonville, Daytona, Orlando, Melbourne, and Fort Myers have all seen below-average rainfall so far in 2017, according to data from the weather service.

U.S. drought reaches record low as rain reigns

Below-average rain is predicted across most of the state for at least the next two weeks, the Climate Prediction Center said.

The dryness has worsened wildfires across the state, with nearly 1,900 fires reported so far this year, the Florida Forest Service said. Those fires have burned 153,315 acres, which is more than the state usually sees in an entire year, the Associated Press said.

It's also a huge change from last year: "Florida wildfires have burned nearly four-and-a-half times more acreage under state jurisdiction than the same time last year," said S. Kinley Tuten, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam recently described this year as the most active fire season since 2011.

The risk for fires is expected to continue throughout the next four months, according to a forecast from the National Interagency Fire Center.