🔗 Share this article Powerful Gales Cause Tens of Thousands In the Dark in New Zealand Citizens advised to stay indoors as powerful gusts strike the nation. Severe winds hitting velocities of as high as 155km/h (96mph) have left nearly 90,000 homes experiencing outages and led agencies to call off in excess of 100 aircraft departures, as reported by local media. The gales are affecting the complete southern region and lower areas of the North Island, according to the national weather agency. The nation's agencies have announced rare severe gust advisories - the top caution category - in core zones such as Wellington and Canterbury. Locals have been advised to avoid going outside, refrain from journeys, and get ready for additional electricity and network failures. Widespread Destruction and Emergency Response The power cut seems to be impacting households mainly in the South Island, while officials state that the electricity supply was being slowly brought back. Regional news have reported that in certain areas roofs have been ripped off houses, while power lines and trees have been knocked down by the gales. Across Wellington, a individual was fatally injured after being impacted by a tree branch at a well-known hiking path on Tuesday. Meanwhile in Wellington, a woman was swept into moving cars on a road by a strong gust of wind, in a incident that was recorded in a widely shared car camera footage. Flights to and from the urban area have been cancelled because of the winds, and various routes and public facilities are shut down. Meanwhile authorities in Canterbury have issued a state of emergency, to facilitate disaster response efforts. Much of New Zealand is under intense condition advisories. Work Stoppages During Extreme Weather These intense gusts on today occur while tens of thousands of educators, medical professionals and government employees are engaged in what has been described as a "mega strike", requesting better pay and working conditions. But the severe conditions has compelled them to change various scheduled activities, with several external protests moved indoors or called off. Like conditions are affecting Australia, ushering in a high-temperature event to the remote areas. Authorities have issued fire bans for concern about wildfires.