Strong winds in New Zealand leave tens of thousands without power

Residents in New Zealand are have been urged to stay indoors as strong winds lash the country

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 the 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, 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.

The man killed by a tree branch on Tuesday had been on a popular walking trail in the New Zealand capital.

Also in Wellington, 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.

Authorities have also warned of heavy rain across the South Island, with water levels in the Waimakariri River in Canterbury rising rapidly. Local officials said the river may overflow in the coming hours and have urged local residents to prepare for evacuation.

The strong winds overturned a truck on a highway in Canterbury

The wild winds on Thursday come as tens of 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 across Australia, bringing a heatwave to the country's outback. Authorities have issued fire bans for fear of bush fires.