WELLINGTON– Strong winds of up to 155km/h (96mph) in New Zealand has left around 90,000 homes without power and forced authorities to cancel more than 100 flights, report local media.

The winds are affecting the whole of the South Island and the southern parts of the North Island, according to the country's meteorological service.

New Zealand authorities have issued rare red wind warnings– the highest alert level– in central regions including Canterbury and Wellington. They have also warned of heavy rain in the South Island.

People have been urged to stay indoors and avoid travel, and to prepare 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 was being restored progressively.

Local media have reported that in some places roofs have been ripped off houses, while trees and electricity poles have been knocked down by the winds.

In Wellington, a man was killed after being struck by a tree branch at a popular trail walking spot on Tuesday.

Also in the capital, a woman was blown onto oncoming traffic on a road by a strong gust of wind, in a moment that was captured in a viral dashcam video. She appeared to survive.

Flights in and out of the city have been cancelled because of the winds, while some roads and libraries are also closed.

Meanwhile Canterbury officials have declared a state of emergency, to support disaster response efforts.

The wild winds on Thursday come as tens and thousands of teachers, doctors and other public workers take part in what has been termed a "mega strike", calling for better pay and working conditions.

But the extreme weather has forced them to change some of their plans, with some outdoor rallies moved indoors or cancelled.

Similar gusts are also sweeping Australia, bringing a heatwave to the country's outback. Authorities have issued fire bans for fear of bushfires.– BBC