Intense gusts reaching velocities of up to 155km/h (96mph) have caused around 90,000 properties without power and compelled agencies to call off over 100 air travel services, as reported by domestic outlets.
These gusts are influencing the entire South Island and southern parts of the North Island, per the country's meteorological service.
New Zealand authorities have announced rare severe gust advisories - the highest alert level - in core zones such as Wellington and Canterbury.
Locals have been urged to remain inside, stay off roads, and get ready for further power and communication outages.
Widespread Destruction and Crisis Response
This outage is primarily influencing homes mainly in the southern region, while agencies state that energy was being restored progressively.
Regional news have indicated that in various locations homes have lost their roofs, whereas utility poles and vegetation have been knocked down by the winds.
Across Wellington, a person was lost his life after being hit by a wooden fragment at a well-known hiking path on earlier this week.
Meanwhile in Wellington, a individual was swept into moving cars on a road by a intensive burst, in a event that was captured in a widely shared car camera footage.
Aircraft services in and out of the city have been halted because of the weather, while certain highways and community centers are also closed.
At the same time authorities in Canterbury have issued a state of emergency, to facilitate emergency management operations.
Labor Protests Amid Extreme Weather
The wild winds on this day occur while many of school staff, physicians and civil servants take part in what has been termed a "major walkout", requesting improved salaries and workplace environments.
Yet the extreme weather has compelled them to alter certain arrangements, with various open-air gatherings moved indoors or abandoned.
Comparable winds are also sweeping Australia, bringing a period of extreme heat to the remote areas.
Officials have declared fire bans for apprehension regarding wildfires.
