 The origins of Hurricane Chantal can be tracked back to a tropical disturbance within the Intertropical Convergence Zone near Trinidad and Tobago on July 24 . The system crossed westward over the Caribbean Sea , and there were no signs of organization until July 27 near the coast of Honduras . Despite the predictions for slow development from the tropical weather outlooks , it was possible that the system developed a surface low center near Belize City , Belize late on July 28 . After the system moved inland over the Yucatán Peninsula , it became disorganized , although the National Hurricane Center indicated in the tropical weather outlook that once it moved into the Gulf of Mexico there was potential for development . Although the outflow of the system had appeared impressive on satellite images , the potential for development seemed uncertain , mostly due to the close proximity to land . The storm quickly became better organized based on satellite data and ship reports . 
