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Strong winds of up to 155 km/h (96 mph) in New Zealand have left approximately 90,000 houses without electricity. The gusts have also forced the cancellation of over 100 flights across the country. The South Island and southern parts of the North Island are worst affected by this weather phenomenon. The Meteorological Service had issued rare red wind warnings in central regions such as Canterbury and Wellington. These are the highest alert levels for severe weather conditions. The warnings were lifted a few hours later. The extreme weather has also led to some casualties. A man in Wellington was killed after being hit by a falling tree branch while walking. In another incident, a woman was blown onto oncoming traffic due to strong winds in Wellington, but she survived. In response to the widespread destruction caused by the winds, officials in Canterbury have declared a state of emergency. The declaration is aimed at bolstering disaster response efforts in the region. People have been warned to stay indoors and avoid travel, as well as to prepare for future power and communication outages. Additionally, authorities have issued warnings about severe rains throughout the South Island, with water levels in Canterbury's Waimakariri River rising rapidly. The severe winds have also disrupted a major industrial walkout by over 100,000 health and education workers. Dubbed a mega strike, the walkout was staged after months of negotiations with the government over pay and conditions failed. While each union has demands particular to their industry, the concerns were largely consistent: inadequate pay, unsafe staffing levels, insufficient resources, and bad working conditions that jeopardized the health of workers, patients, and children.
