Powerful winds attaining speeds of as high as 155km/h (96mph) have caused nearly 90,000 homes experiencing outages and compelled officials to call off more than 100 aircraft departures, according to domestic outlets.
The winds are affecting the entire southern region and southern sections of the North Island, as stated by the country's meteorological service.
Officials in New Zealand have announced rare severe gust advisories - the highest alert level - in key areas such as Canterbury and Wellington.
People have been encouraged to stay indoors, avoid travel, and make arrangements for further electricity and network failures.
Widespread Impact and Crisis Response
This outage seems to be impacting households mostly in the South Island, although authorities state that energy was being slowly brought back.
Regional news have indicated that in certain areas structures have suffered roof damage, while power lines and trees have been toppled by the gales.
Within the capital, a man was killed after being hit by a falling limb at a popular trail walking spot on earlier this week.
Also in the capital, a individual was blown onto approaching vehicles on a road by a strong gust of wind, in a incident that was filmed in a viral dashcam video.
Aircraft services to and from the city have been halted as a result of the weather, and various routes and public facilities are shut down.
At the same time authorities in Canterbury have issued a state of emergency, to assist recovery activities.
Labor Protests Alongside Extreme Weather
The wild winds on Thursday occur while many of educators, medical professionals and government employees take part in what has been called a "mega strike", demanding higher wages and enhanced employment terms.
But the extreme weather has pressured them to modify some of their plans, with various open-air gatherings relocated inside or cancelled.
Comparable winds are affecting Australia, bringing a high-temperature event to the country's outback.
Agencies have declared fire bans for concern about forest fires.
