A tropical wave is forming in the Caribbean as Lorenzo is expected to hit Ireland and the UK

Doyle Rice and Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY

At long last, we have a lull in the Atlantic hurricane season: For the first time in several weeks, there are no named tropical storms or hurricanes anywhere in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea or Gulf of Mexico.

But forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are monitoring a tropical wave in the Caribbean that has a 20% chance of development within the next five days:

"A broad area of low pressure is centered a little more than 100 miles south of the western tip of Cuba," the hurricane center reported Thursday. "This system is forecast to move westward across the northern portion of the Yucatan peninsula and into the Bay of Campeche during the next few days."

Although surface pressures are forecast to remain low across the area, upper-level winds do not favor any significant development for now.

"This feature has a chance of organizing, but not until next week when it gets into the southwestern Gulf of Mexico," said Dan Kottlowski, AccuWeather's top hurricane expert.

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The next named storm that does develop would be called Melissa and would become the 13th named storm of the season. A typical season sees about 12 storms, according to Colorado State University's Tropical Meteorology Project.

Elsewhere, in Europe, the storm that was once Hurricane Lorenzo is forecast to make a direct hit on Ireland and the United Kingdom with hurricane-force winds later Thursday and into Friday.

Powerful winds from the storm, now officially classified as a post-tropical cyclone, could cause widespread tree damage, power outages, significant travel disruptions and some damage to homes and businesses Thursday night into Friday, AccuWeather said.

The areas at greatest risk are expected to be across Ireland, Northern Ireland and coastal locations of southern Wales and southwestern England.

Rainfall from Storm Lorenzo (as it's now known in Ireland), on top of recent heavy rain, also will bring a high risk for flooding across the British Isles.

Ireland and Britain are no stranger to being visited by post-tropical hurricanes, according to the Capital Weather Gang. Seven have passed near or over Ireland in the past 25 years.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricanes: Lorenzo heads for Ireland, UK; Tropical wave in Caribbean