Invercargill Mayor Tom Campbell is urging people to stay away from the city's parks and reserves as damaged trees were still at risk of toppling at any point.

Damage in Queens Park. Photo: Invercargill City Council

The new city mayor's comments follow days of battering winds and material carnage across Southland, which has prompted a State of Emergency being declared yesterday (24 Oct).

Campbell said it would also be helpful if residents to delay taking rubblish to the city's transfer station in order to avoid any congestion.

And while water was all ok, some conservation would be helpful to reduce power demand on the stations, he said.

However Campbell said that things were improving with most roads and all main arteries now open.

Power had also been restored to almost all urban areas but there were rural areas without electricity. This may take several days to resolve, he said.

Buses are running again and the city library has reopened, however Splash Palace remains closed due to some roof damage.