Bizarre images have emerged of houses inundated with tumbleweeds in rural Victoria after extreme dry conditions cover homes in clouds of 'hairy panic'.

Residents have been left frustrated and exhausted trying to rid their properties of the ghost-like weed, which has engulfed front and back yards, gardens and garages.
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Named hairy panic, the weeds of Wangaratta are world-class, holding their own against Texas tumblers.
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Locals say the tumbleweed has been around for a couple of years but, with dry conditions, this summer is by far the worst.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/vic/a/30849825/hairy-panic-sets-in-as-homes-are-swallowed-in-masses-of-tumbleweeds/

Hairy panic, also known by its Latin name Panicum effusum, is a grass that is found in every Australian state.

It grows rapidly and can cause a potentially fatal condition called "yellow big head" in sheep if eaten in large quantities.

Wangatta veterinary surgeon Richard Evans told the BBC the weed would lose its toxicity once it dried up.

"The important thing is it's not going to kill people's dogs and cats, it just makes a hell of a mess," he said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-35600546