DELAYED DEP DUE TO WX AND RWY CONFIGN CHANGE.

Narrative

TAXIED OUT FOR TKOF RWY 18R TPA (WIND 250 DEGS AT 10 KTS). LINE OF SOLID TSTMS W THROUGH NE JUST N OF ARPT. HOLDING SHORT OF RWY (#1 FOR TKOF) DUE TO SEVERAL LNDG ACR ACFT. LNDG ACFT HAVING DIFFICULTY STAYING CLR OF TSTMS ON APCH. LNDGS SUSPENDED TO S AND TPA ATC DECIDED TO GO TO A N OP WITH ABOUT 6 ACFT WAITING FOR DEP ON RWY 18R. WE ASKED TWR FOR A TKOF TO THE S (AWAY FROM THE TSTM; CLR TO S). TPA TWR DENIED THIS REQUEST AND INSTRUCTED ALL ACFT TO TAXI DOWN THE RWY AND ONTO A PARALLEL TXWY TO RWY 36L AND CHANGE TO GND CTL. 1 B727 DEPARTED RWY 36L WHILE WE WERE STILL ON GND CTL FREQ. THERE WERE THEN SEVERAL ACR LNDGS ON RWY 36L WHILE WE WERE #1 FOR TKOF. TWR CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD AFTER 1 LNDG AND IN POS THE RADAR SHOWED A SOLID LINE OF STRONG (RED) STORMS N THROUGH E ABOUT 2 MI N OF ARPT; BUT THERE WAS A GOOD SIZED GAP IN THE LINE TO THE NW (310-320 DEGS). TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF WHEN PREVIOUS LNDG CLRED RWY. WE ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC AND TOLD TWR THAT WE NEEDED A 310 DEG HDG IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF. TWR DENIED OUR REQUEST AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN RWY HDG AND CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF OR CLR RWY (TFC ON FINAL). I REFUSED TKOF CLRNC WITH THIS HDG AND BEGAN TO TAXI TO CLR RWY. HOWEVER; THE FIRST AVAILABLE TXWY (DUE TO ACFT ON PARALLEL TXWY) WAS ABOUT 4000 FT DOWN THE RWY. ACFT ON FINAL HAD TO GAR (HE CIRCLED VFR AND LANDED ON RWY 36R). WE CLRED RWY AND WERE DIRECTED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARPT (RWY 36R) FOR DEP. NUMEROUS ACFT WERE ALLOWED TO DEPART BEFORE US OFF OF BOTH RWY 36L&R AND ALL WERE ALLOWED TO TURN TO THE NW (320 DEG HDG) TO FLY THROUGH THE GAP IN THE LINE OF TSTM. ON OUR DEP (ORIGINALLY #1 FOR TKOF; NOW LAST) WE ASKED FOR AND THIS TIME RECEIVED CLRNC FOR A 320 DEG HDG TO FLY THROUGH THE GAP IN THE LINE OF TSTM. TKOF AND REMAINDER OF FLT NORMAL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 281188: REQUESTED SOUTHERLY DEP (STILL VFR TO S). TWR REFUSED DUE ARRS. TAXIED TO RWY 36L. WHEN CLRED INTO POS; REQUESTED TO 'TAKE A LOOK' AT RADAR. TSTMS STILL N AND W OF FIELD ABOUT 3-4 MI OUT. ACFT DEPARTING RWY 36R WERE FLYING 310 DEG OR 320 DEG HDG. TO GO THROUGH GAP IN TSTMS.