Thousands are still without power in the lower South Island, after last week's wild winds

PowerNet says three thousand 900 homes have no power in Southland and 17-hundred in Otago.

Southland District Council says safety continues to be a concern due to the large numbers of downed lines, broken poles and trees tangled in lines.

Eight Southland schools were closed yesterday due to power or water outages.

The council's urging residents to conserve water and avoid unnecessary water usage, where possible.