Strong winds of up to 155km/h (96mph) in New Zealand have left around 90,000 homes without power and forced authorities to cancel more than 100 flights, local media reports.
The winds are affecting the whole of the South Island and southern parts of the North Island, according to the country's meteorological service.
New Zealand authorities issued rare red wind warnings - the highest alert level - in central regions including Canterbury and Wellington earlier on Thursday, though they lifted them hours later.
In some places, roofs have reportedly been ripped off houses, while trees and electricity poles have been knocked down. A man in Wellington died after being struck by a tree branch.
People have been urged to stay indoors and avoid travel, preparing for further power and communication outages.
The power cut appears to be affecting homes mostly in the South Island, though authorities say that the electricity supply is being restored progressively.
In a tragic incident, the man killed by a tree branch on Tuesday had been on a popular walking trail in the capital.
Meanwhile, Canterbury officials have declared a state of emergency to support disaster response efforts, with heavy rain also forecasted. Local officials have warned of rising water levels in the Waimakariri River, urging residents to prepare for potential evacuations.
The wild winds have coincided with a major strike by tens of thousands of public workers in the country, although extreme weather has disrupted their planned demonstrations.
As New Zealand grapples with the winds, similar weather systems are impacting parts of Australia, leading to heat advisories and fire restrictions.
