Sri Lanka, Oct. 23 -- 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 autho...