Powerful gusts hitting speeds of up to 155km/h (96mph) have resulted in nearly 90,000 households without power and led agencies to halt in excess of 100 aircraft departures, according to domestic outlets.
The winds are impacting the whole southern region and southern parts of the northern region, per the weather forecasting body.
Officials in New Zealand have released uncommon severe gust advisories - the top caution category - in central regions such as Canterbury and Wellington.
Residents have been encouraged to stay indoors, refrain from journeys, and get ready for additional power and communication outages.
Broad Impact and Crisis Response
This outage appears to be affecting residences mostly in the South Island, while authorities report that energy was being gradually reinstated.
Local media have reported that in some places roofs have been ripped off houses, whereas utility poles and vegetation have been brought down by the gusts.
Within the capital, a man was lost his life after being struck by a falling limb at a frequent walking route on Tuesday.
Additionally in the city, a woman was pushed toward oncoming traffic on a road by a intensive burst, in a incident that was recorded in a viral dashcam video.
Flights entering and leaving the city have been cancelled because of the winds, whereas some roads and libraries are not operating.
At the same time authorities in Canterbury have issued a emergency situation, to support disaster response efforts.
Work Stoppages Amid Harsh Weather
The powerful gales on Thursday occur while tens of thousands of school staff, physicians and civil servants are participating in what has been called a "mega strike", demanding better pay and working conditions.
Yet the extreme weather has forced them to modify various scheduled activities, with various open-air gatherings moved indoors or called off.
Like conditions are impacting the neighboring country, causing a heatwave to the nation's interior regions.
Agencies have issued fire bans for apprehension regarding bushfires.
