Intense winds reaching speeds of as high as 155km/h (96mph) have left around 90,000 homes without power and led officials to cancel in excess of 100 air travel services, according to regional news sources.
These gusts are impacting the complete South Island and southern sections of the North Island, per the weather forecasting body.
New Zealand authorities have issued uncommon severe gust advisories - the highest alert level - in central regions encompassing these major districts.
People have been encouraged to remain inside, refrain from journeys, and prepare for additional power and communication outages.
Broad Damage and Emergency Measures
This outage seems to be impacting residences mostly in the southern region, though authorities report that power was being slowly brought back.
Local media have stated that in certain areas roofs have been ripped off houses, whereas trees and electricity poles have been toppled by the winds.
Across Wellington, a man was lost his life after being hit by a wooden fragment at a well-known hiking path on Tuesday.
Also in the capital, a individual was swept into moving cars on a thoroughfare by a powerful blast, in a event that was filmed in a viral dashcam video.
Aircraft services in and out of the city have been cancelled due to the gusts, while some roads and libraries are also closed.
At the same time authorities in Canterbury have announced a state of emergency, to facilitate emergency management operations.
Labor Protests During Extreme Conditions
The powerful gales on today occur while numerous of educators, medical professionals and government employees take part in what has been described as a "major walkout", calling for improved salaries and workplace environments.
However the severe conditions has forced them to alter certain arrangements, with various open-air gatherings relocated inside or cancelled.
Comparable winds are affecting the neighboring country, ushering in a high-temperature event to the remote areas.
Authorities have issued burning restrictions for fear of wildfires.
