Severe gusts hitting speeds of up to 155km/h (96mph) have resulted in nearly 90,000 households without power and led agencies to halt more than 100 aircraft departures, as reported by domestic outlets.
The winds are impacting the complete southern region and southern parts of the North Island, as stated by the weather forecasting body.
New Zealand authorities have released infrequent severe gust advisories - the top caution category - in key areas including Canterbury and Wellington.
Locals have been urged to avoid going outside, refrain from journeys, and prepare for additional power and communication outages.
Broad Damage and Emergency Measures
This outage appears to be affecting households predominantly in the South Island, although officials report that energy was being slowly brought back.
Regional news have reported that in some places homes have lost their roofs, whereas trees and electricity poles have been knocked down by the gales.
Across Wellington, a individual was lost his life after being hit by a tree branch at a well-known hiking path on earlier this week.
Also in the capital, a woman was pushed toward moving cars on a thoroughfare by a powerful blast, in a event that was recorded in a popular vehicle recording.
Air travel in and out of the urban area have been cancelled due to the winds, and various routes and public facilities are also closed.
Meanwhile Canterbury officials have declared a emergency situation, to assist disaster response efforts.
Work Stoppages During Harsh Conditions
The wild winds on Thursday coincide with numerous of school staff, physicians and civil servants take part in what has been described as a "mega strike", calling for higher wages and enhanced employment terms.
However the extreme weather has forced them to alter various scheduled activities, with some outdoor rallies relocated inside or abandoned.
Like conditions are impacting the nearby nation, causing a high-temperature event to the country's outback.
Authorities have announced fire bans for apprehension regarding bushfires.
