Over 200,000 PG&E customers in the Bay Area are still affected by widespread power outages in the region, the energy company said early Monday morning.

As of 5 a.m. Monday, power has been restored to approximately 678,000 households but 235,407 other customers are still affected, PG&E said.

North Bay households without power still number around 72,829 while South Bay has 72,466 affected customers, according to PG&E.

Power is still also to be restored to 56,604 Peninsula customers; 28,717 households in the East Bay; and 4,791 customers in San Francisco.

The power outages, triggered by severe weather conditions, started around 8 a.m. Sunday in Monterey County, as PG&E reported.

Must-know tips as bad weather persists

As the bad weather continues, PG&E wanted to give customers a number of tips in dealing with their power being out: 

Never touch downed wires: If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and extremely dangerous. Do not touch or try to move it, and keep children and animals away. Report downed power lines immediately by calling 911 and then PG&E at (800) 743-5002. 

Use generators safely: Customers with standby electric generators should ensure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area. Improperly installed generators pose a significant danger to customers, as well as crews working on powerlines. If using portable generators, be sure they are in a well-ventilated area. 

Use flashlights, not candles: During a power outage, use battery-operated flashlights and not candles, due to the risk of fire. And keep extra batteries on hand. If you must use candles, please keep them away from drapes, lampshades, animals and small children. Do not leave candles unattended. 

Have a backup phone: If you have a telephone system that requires electricity to work, such as a cordless phone or answering machine, plan to have a standard telephone or cellular phone ready as a backup. Having a portable charging device helps to keep your cell phone running. 

Have fresh drinking water and ice: Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in your refrigerator/freezer to prevent food spoilage. 

Secure your outside furniture: Strong winds can blow lawn chairs and other outdoor items into powerlines. 

Turn off appliances: If you experience an outage, unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored. Simply leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns. 

Safely clean up: After the storm has passed, be sure to safely clean up. Never touch downed wires and always call 8-1-1 or visit 811express.com at least two full business days before digging to have all underground utilities safely marked. 

Bay City News reporters Katy St. Clair, Tony Hicks and Gabe Agcaoili contributed to this report.

Note to readers: This story has been updated to reflect PG&E’s latest report as of Monday, 5 a.m.