Severe winds attaining speeds of as high as 155km/h (96mph) have resulted in nearly 90,000 households without power and led authorities to cancel in excess of 100 air travel services, according to regional news sources.
These gusts are impacting the entire South Island and southern sections of the northern region, per the country's meteorological service.
New Zealand authorities have released uncommon severe gust advisories - the most severe warning - in core zones including these major districts.
People have been advised to avoid going outside, refrain from journeys, and prepare for more power and communication outages.
Widespread Damage and Crisis Measures
This outage is primarily influencing households mostly in the South Island, though agencies state that energy was being restored progressively.
Local media have stated that in some places homes have lost their roofs, while power lines and trees have been knocked down by the winds.
Within the capital, a individual was killed after being impacted by a wooden fragment at a frequent walking route on Tuesday.
Additionally in the city, a woman was blown onto oncoming traffic on a thoroughfare by a intensive burst, in a moment that was filmed in a widely shared car camera footage.
Aircraft services to and from the city have been cancelled as a result of the gusts, whereas some roads and libraries are not operating.
At the same time Canterbury officials have announced a crisis declaration, to assist disaster response efforts.
Strike Action During Extreme Weather
These intense gusts on this day come as many of school staff, physicians and civil servants take part in what has been called a "mega strike", demanding better pay and working conditions.
But the extreme weather has pressured them to modify certain arrangements, with various open-air gatherings relocated inside or called off.
Similar gusts are affecting the neighboring country, bringing a high-temperature event to the country's outback.
Authorities have announced fire bans for fear of bushfires.
