Severe gusts hitting velocities of up to 155km/h (96mph) have resulted in nearly 90,000 households without power and forced officials to halt over 100 flights, as reported by regional news sources.
The gales are influencing the complete South Island and southern sections of the North Island, according to the weather forecasting body.
New Zealand authorities have released infrequent severe gust advisories - the top caution category - in central regions encompassing Canterbury and Wellington.
Locals have been advised to remain inside, refrain from journeys, and prepare for further power and communication outages.
Extensive Damage and Crisis Response
This outage appears to be affecting households mostly in the South Island, although officials state that power was being slowly brought back.
Local media have indicated that in some places roofs have been ripped off houses, while trees and electricity poles have been knocked down by the gusts.
In Wellington, a man was fatally injured after being impacted by a falling limb at a popular trail walking spot on Tuesday.
Meanwhile in Wellington, a woman was pushed toward approaching vehicles on a thoroughfare by a intensive burst, in a incident that was captured in a widely shared car camera footage.
Air travel to and from the urban area have been suspended as a result of the winds, whereas certain highways and community centers are also closed.
Simultaneously Canterbury officials have announced a state of emergency, to facilitate emergency management operations.
Labor Protests Amid Severe Weather
These intense gusts on Thursday occur while numerous of teachers, doctors and other public workers are participating in what has been described as a "major walkout", demanding higher wages and enhanced employment terms.
However the extreme weather has forced them to modify certain arrangements, with several external protests moved indoors or called off.
Comparable winds are also sweeping the nearby nation, ushering in a high-temperature event to the country's outback.
Authorities have declared fire bans for fear of bushfires.
