Severe gusts hitting velocities of approximately 155km/h (96mph) have caused around 90,000 homes experiencing outages and compelled authorities to halt more than 100 air travel services, according to regional news sources.
The gales are impacting the entire South Island and southern sections of the North Island, per the national weather agency.
The nation's agencies have announced infrequent red wind warnings - the highest alert level - in core zones such as Canterbury and Wellington.
Residents have been advised to avoid going outside, refrain from journeys, and get ready for additional power and communication outages.
Broad Damage and Crisis Measures
This outage appears to be affecting homes mainly in the South Island, while authorities state that the electricity supply was being slowly brought back.
Local media have indicated that in certain areas roofs have been ripped off houses, while power lines and trees have been knocked down by the gales.
Within the capital, a man was fatally injured after being hit by a tree branch at a well-known hiking path on Tuesday.
Also in the capital, a female was blown onto approaching vehicles on a street by a powerful blast, in a incident that was captured in a widely shared car camera footage.
Air travel to and from the city have been halted due to the gusts, while various routes and public facilities are also closed.
Simultaneously authorities in Canterbury have declared a state of emergency, to facilitate recovery activities.
Work Stoppages Alongside Extreme Conditions
The wild winds on this day occur while numerous of school staff, physicians and civil servants are engaged in what has been described as a "mega strike", requesting better pay and working conditions.
Yet the intense climate has forced them to alter certain arrangements, with several external protests moved indoors or abandoned.
Similar gusts are also sweeping the nearby nation, bringing a high-temperature event to the remote areas.
Agencies have issued burning restrictions for apprehension regarding forest fires.
