Intense gusts attaining speeds of up to 155km/h (96mph) have caused nearly 90,000 households without power and compelled officials to call off more than 100 flights, based on regional news sources.
The winds are influencing the whole South Island and lower areas of the North Island, per the national weather agency.
Officials in New Zealand have released rare severe gust advisories - the highest alert level - in key areas such as these major districts.
People have been advised to stay indoors, stay off roads, and get ready for more power and communication outages.
Broad Impact and Emergency Response
This outage appears to be affecting residences mainly in the southern region, though agencies state that energy was being slowly brought back.
Regional news have indicated that in some places roofs have been ripped off houses, and trees and electricity poles have been brought down by the gusts.
Within the capital, a man was fatally injured after being impacted by a falling limb at a well-known hiking path on earlier this week.
Meanwhile in Wellington, a woman was swept into oncoming traffic on a street by a powerful blast, in a moment that was recorded in a widely shared car camera footage.
Aircraft services in and out of the city have been halted due to the winds, and some roads and libraries are shut down.
Meanwhile Canterbury officials have announced a crisis declaration, to assist recovery activities.
Work Stoppages Alongside Harsh Conditions
The wild winds on Thursday occur while many of teachers, doctors and other public workers are participating in what has been called a "mega strike", demanding higher wages and enhanced employment terms.
But the extreme weather has forced them to change certain arrangements, with several external protests shifted to interior venues or called off.
Comparable winds are also sweeping Australia, causing a high-temperature event to the remote areas.
Officials have issued flame prohibitions for fear of bushfires.
