Typhoon Zola struck Japan during August 1990. An area of disturbed weather developed during mid-August to the west of Guam. The disturbance developed into a tropical depression on August 16 while tracking eastward. Decreased wind shear aided in intensification, and it is estimated that the depression strengthened into a tropical storm on August 17. Continuing to intensify, Zola turned northwest in response to a subtropical ridge to its east before obtaining typhoon intensity on August 20. Typhoon Zola reached its peak intensity the next day. After weakening slightly, the storm moved ashore on Honshu. On August 23, the system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone over the Sea of Japan. The typhoon dropped heavy rains across much of the Japanese archipelago. Near where the storm moved over ashore, in Kōchi Prefecture, three people were injured. Thirty-eight homes were damaged or destroyed. Further north, 7 people were injured in Hiroshima Prefecture, where 30 houses were damaged or destroyed, and 19 others were flooded. Power lines were cut in 84,000 locations and of farmland were damaged in the prefecture. Nationwide, six people were killed while twenty-four others were hurt. A total 67 houses were destroyed while 420 others were flooded. A total of 16 ships and of farmland were damaged. Over 250 flights were called off. In all, damage totaled ¥15.1 billion, equal to US$104 million. Meteorological history Following the formation of Typhoon Yancy, there was a pronounced surge of southwesterly flow in the Western Pacific monsoon trough west of Guam. Thunderstorm activity began to persist east of Yancy, but further development was slow to occur because of strong vertical wind shear. Early on August 15, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) started watching a persistent area of disturbed weather west of Guam. Initially, the disturbance tracked west-northwest and then eastward, but further development was inhibited by strong vertical wind shear. At 00:00 UTC on August 16, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) upgraded the disturbance into a tropical depression. Banding quickly wrapped around the center around a low-level circulation as the disturbance passed through the Mariana Islands. By the evening of August 16, the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert, and the following morning, upgraded the system into a tropical depression. The depression turned west-northwest in response to a shortwave trough that tracked north of the system. At noon on August 17, the JMA upgraded it to a tropical storm, although the