a tropical wave emerged into the atlantic ocean from the west coast of africa on july 5. during the next week, the wave improved on satellite imagery and developed into a tropical depression about east-northeast of guadeloupe on july 12. the depression quickly strengthened into tropical storm chantal. initially, chantal threatened the bahamas, and the government of the bahamas issued tropical storm watches and warnings, which were in effect for the southeast and central islands as well as the turks and caicos islands. however, chantal re-curved to the north and did not directly affect the bahamas. after the cyclone turned northward, it threatened bermuda, which prompted a tropical storm watch for the island on july 16. the watch was canceled on july 18 as the storm passed well northwest of the island.