Severe gales hitting velocities of approximately 155km/h (96mph) have caused nearly 90,000 households experiencing outages and forced agencies to halt in excess of 100 aircraft departures, as reported by domestic outlets.
The winds are influencing the entire South Island and lower areas of the North Island, as stated by the national weather agency.
Officials in New Zealand have issued uncommon high-level wind alerts - the top caution category - in key areas such as Canterbury and Wellington.
Residents have been encouraged to remain inside, refrain from journeys, and get ready for further electricity and network failures.
Widespread Impact and Crisis Response
This outage seems to be impacting homes mainly in the southern region, though authorities report that energy was being gradually reinstated.
Domestic outlets have stated that in various locations homes have lost their roofs, whereas utility poles and vegetation have been knocked down by the winds.
Within the capital, a man was lost his life after being impacted by a falling limb at a frequent walking route on Tuesday.
Also in the capital, a individual was blown onto approaching vehicles on a road by a strong gust of wind, in a event that was captured in a widely shared car camera footage.
Aircraft services to and from the urban area have been suspended as a result of the weather, and various routes and public facilities are not operating.
At the same time Canterbury officials have announced a emergency situation, to facilitate recovery activities.
Strike Action Amid Extreme Conditions
The powerful gales on today coincide with numerous of school staff, physicians and civil servants are engaged in what has been termed a "significant labor action", calling for higher wages and enhanced employment terms.
Yet the extreme weather has forced them to modify some of their plans, with several external protests relocated inside or cancelled.
Similar gusts are also sweeping Australia, ushering in a heatwave to the nation's interior regions.
Officials have declared fire bans for fear of bushfires.
