| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | August 19, 1959 |
| Dissipated | August 23, 1959 |
| Typhoon | |
| 10-minute sustained (JMA) | |
| Lowest pressure | 965 hPa (mbar); 28.50 inHg |
| Category 2-equivalent typhoon | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 165 km/h (105 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 966 hPa (mbar); 28.53 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 820–2,334 total |
| Areas affected | Philippines, China, Taiwan |
Part of the 1959 Pacific typhoon season | |
Typhoon Iris was a catastrophic tropical cyclone that killed as many as 2,334 people in China. Originating from a tropical disturbance over the Philippine Sea on August 19, Iris tracked west-northwestward towards Luzon. Quickly developing into a typhoon by August 21, a northwestward turn kept the center of Iris offshore Luzon. On August 22, the storm attained its peak intensity as a Category 2-equivalent typhoon on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale with winds of 165 km/h (105 mph) and a barometric pressure of 966 mbar (hPa; 28.53 inHg). Subsequently, Iris weakened to a tropical storm before making landfall near Kao-Chi, China. Once onshore, the storm rapidly transitioned into an extratropical cyclone and dissipated on August 23.
In the Philippines, rough seas associated with the typhoon caused multiple shipwrecks that killed at least 100 people. Across southeastern China, at least 720 people are known to have been killed by the storm; however, estimates range as high as 2,334.