Intense winds hitting speeds of as high as 155km/h (96mph) have left around 90,000 households experiencing outages and led authorities to call off in excess of 100 aircraft departures, as reported by regional news sources.
These gusts are affecting the complete southern region and southern parts of the northern region, according to the national weather agency.
New Zealand authorities have announced rare high-level wind alerts - the most severe warning - in core zones including Wellington and Canterbury.
People have been urged to stay indoors, avoid travel, and get ready for additional electricity and network failures.
Widespread Destruction and Emergency Measures
This outage is primarily influencing residences mainly in the South Island, though agencies say that the electricity supply was being gradually reinstated.
Local media have stated that in certain areas homes have lost their roofs, while power lines and trees have been brought down by the gusts.
Across Wellington, a person was lost his life after being struck by a wooden fragment at a frequent walking route on earlier this week.
Additionally in the city, a woman was swept into moving cars on a road by a powerful blast, in a moment that was recorded in a popular vehicle recording.
Flights entering and leaving the city have been halted due to the gusts, and some roads and libraries are also closed.
At the same time authorities in Canterbury have announced a crisis declaration, to assist disaster response efforts.
Labor Protests During Harsh Conditions
The wild winds on today coincide with numerous of teachers, doctors and other public workers are engaged in what has been called a "significant labor action", calling for improved salaries and workplace environments.
But the extreme weather has forced them to alter certain arrangements, with various open-air gatherings relocated inside or called off.
Similar gusts are affecting Australia, bringing a high-temperature event to the nation's interior regions.
Agencies have declared burning restrictions for concern about bushfires.
