Seven men have drowned off France's Mediterranean coast, police and rescue services have said.
The deaths, off the coast of the Herault region, have been attributed to the dangerous conditions caused by high winds and strong currents.
The authorities said a total of nine people have died in the sea since Friday.
A 50-year-old woman was taken to Montpellier Hospital, where she remains in a coma, after getting into difficulties in the water.
A fire department official said: "People venture out to sea and can't make it back. We experience this type of event at least once per summer, but this weekend's toll is heavy, above the norm.”
The official said the drownings were caused by strong southeast winds of up to 70 knots - around 81 miles per hour - which produced strong currents.
Four of the victims died in the water or on the beach after being pulled from the sea, and three others died in hospital, they were aged between 40 and 70. One of the victims was a 42-year-old man who was taken to hospital on Friday but died on Sunday.
The seven men were aged between 40 and 70, and died on six different beaches in the area.
A policeman said that swimmers were routinely ignoring warnings put into place by the authorities.
"We are dealing with people who defy swimming bans. Not only do they go swimming while the flags are red, but they also can clearly see that the sea is dangerous".
The entire coast of the Herault region has been afflicted by the combination of high winds and currents, which had led local authorities to warn against swimming in such conditions on Friday after the death of a 47-year-old man.
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