Powerful winds attaining speeds of up to 155km/h (96mph) have left around 90,000 homes lacking electricity and led agencies to call off in excess of 100 air travel services, as reported by domestic outlets.
The winds are impacting the whole South Island and southern parts of the North Island, as stated by the weather forecasting body.
Officials in New Zealand have announced uncommon severe gust advisories - the highest alert level - in key areas such as these major districts.
People have been urged to stay indoors, refrain from journeys, and get ready for further power and communication outages.
Broad Destruction and Emergency Measures
This outage seems to be impacting homes predominantly in the South Island, although agencies state that power was being slowly brought back.
Local media have stated that in some places roofs have been ripped off houses, while trees and electricity poles have been knocked down by the gales.
Across Wellington, a man was killed after being hit by a tree branch at a well-known hiking path on Tuesday.
Meanwhile in Wellington, a individual was pushed toward oncoming traffic on a street by a intensive burst, in a moment that was recorded in a viral dashcam video.
Aircraft services entering and leaving the city have been suspended as a result of the weather, while some roads and libraries are shut down.
At the same time local leaders have declared a state of emergency, to support recovery activities.
Strike Action During Severe Weather
The powerful gales on today coincide with numerous of educators, medical professionals and government employees take part in what has been termed a "major walkout", calling for improved salaries and workplace environments.
Yet the intense climate has compelled them to modify various scheduled activities, with various open-air gatherings relocated inside or cancelled.
Like conditions are also sweeping Australia, ushering in a period of extreme heat to the nation's interior regions.
Officials have issued flame prohibitions for apprehension regarding bushfires.
