The body of the dual Brazilian-Portuguese national was found in the resort of Les Grands Montets at the foot of Mont Blanc, rescuers said.

The avalanche, which occurred around 16:35 local time (15:35 GMT), was 1km (0.6 miles) in length and 400m wide.

It was first reported that the victim was British, but the public prosecutor and the Chamonix High Mountain Gendarmerie Platoon (PGHM) told the BBC on Wednesday that this had been incorrect.

The avalanche fell in an off-piste part of Les Grands Montets where the 55-year old man had been skiing.

It was spotted by a ski patrol on its way to close the area to the public, due to very poor conditions.

Rescue teams attended the scene, where the skier was pronounced dead.

PGHM told the BBC that the man’s family had been informed. It added that it had not received reports of any further casualties.

The Haute-Savoie prefecture reminded skiers and hikers to exercise caution and follow guidance amid January’s high avalanche risk.

The 62-year-old reportedly crashed into a stationary skier, a British man, on the Aiguille Rouge mountain in Les Arcs on Tuesday.

She died shortly afterwards, after experiencing traumatic shock, according to French news outlet Le Dauphine.

The man broke his leg in the collision. Neither have been named.

The incident occurred at the Les Arcs resort in Savoie, south-eastern France.

The director of slope safety at the resort, Phillipe Janin, told the AFP news agency it had happened around 10:30 (09:30 GMT), when the woman was descending a “well-groomed” black run on the Aiguille Rouge mountain.

Black runs are extremely difficult slopes that are considered to be only suitable for expert skiers.

Mr Janin said the 62-year-old had lost control of her skis before colliding with a 35-year-old man who was stationary on the piste. Emergency services attended the scene, but she died shortly afterwards.

He added that he believed both of the skiers had been wearing helmets, and the man had been rushed to hospital with a broken leg.

Local prosecutor Benoît Bachelet told AFP an investigation to determine the precise circumstances of the accident was under way.

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in France and are in contact with the local authorities.”

According to the Domaines Skiables de France, the association that represents ski area operators in France, an average of 10 traumatic deaths are recorded each year on French slopes.

Up to half of these, it adds, are a result of a collision with an obstacle or another skier.