Severe gusts attaining velocities of approximately 155km/h (96mph) have resulted in around 90,000 households lacking electricity and compelled officials to cancel in excess of 100 flights, based on local media.
The gales are impacting the whole southern region and southern sections of the northern region, per the weather forecasting body.
Officials in New Zealand have announced uncommon high-level wind alerts - the highest alert level - in core zones encompassing Canterbury and Wellington.
Residents have been encouraged to stay indoors, refrain from journeys, and get ready for further power and communication outages.
Widespread Destruction and Emergency Response
This outage seems to be impacting residences mainly in the South Island, though agencies state that power was being gradually reinstated.
Regional news have reported that in some places roofs have been ripped off houses, and utility poles and vegetation have been knocked down by the winds.
In Wellington, a man was fatally injured after being impacted by a wooden fragment at a frequent walking route on earlier this week.
Meanwhile in Wellington, a female was blown onto oncoming traffic on a road by a strong gust of wind, in a incident that was filmed in a viral dashcam video.
Air travel entering and leaving the metropolis have been suspended because of the weather, whereas certain highways and community centers are also closed.
At the same time authorities in Canterbury have declared a state of emergency, to support disaster response efforts.
Labor Protests Amid Harsh Conditions
The wild winds on Thursday occur while many of school staff, physicians and civil servants take part in what has been termed a "mega strike", calling for better pay and working conditions.
However the extreme weather has forced them to change certain arrangements, with several external protests relocated inside or cancelled.
Like conditions are also sweeping the nearby nation, ushering in a heatwave to the nation's interior regions.
Agencies have announced fire bans for fear of forest fires.
