PLAGUES & PESTILENCES: Toxic Tumbleweed Strikes Panic In Australian Town - Circling Homes And Threatening Livestock; Local Authorities Hold Emergency Summit?! [PHOTOS + VIDEO]

© ashtonmaereid / Instagram

February 18, 2016 - AUSTRALIA - Walls of tumbleweed from neglected farmland are causing havoc in the Australian city of Wangaratta, encircling homes and threatening livestock.

It might sound like the unlikely plot of a 1950s B-movie, but the weed - also known as hairy panic grass or witchgrass - has blown into a residential neighborhood. The invasion has prompted local authorities to hold an emergency summit, reports ABC News.

Images from the area show bundles of the bristly tumbleweed blocking front doors to homes and forming barriers outside driveways.

The toxic weed originated in nearby farmland among neglected hay crops, and was not prevented from spreading into local neighborhoods.

#Wangaratta #Australia is fighting "hairy panic grass", result of neglected farmland & above average #Summer temps pic.twitter.com/n2qIwr0maF

— Graham Penrose (@GrahamPenrose2) February 18, 2016

Keep eye out for Hairy Panic after summer rain-can lead to liver damage & death in sheep. #dontpanic #weedid pic.twitter.com/5N9UJzcmiz

— Meridian Livestock (@MeridianLStock) February 1, 2016

#Wangaratta's Jason Perna says he's keen to capitalise on #tumbleweeds "whether we go into production of scarecrows" pic.twitter.com/jCU4IDSJMn

— ABCGoulburnMurray (@ABCGM) February 17, 2016

Lots going on in Wangaratta pic.twitter.com/iQKkFeqKn4

— Ben (@rebenjamint) February 17, 2016

An information pamphlet about animal health, produced by Australia's Department of Primary Industries, explains that the grass contains toxins which can cause serious liver damage, photosensitivity and jaundice in sheep.

Signs of poisoning include swelling of the head or sunburn on the nose and ears of sheep.

The Department warns the golden, spindly grass is "most toxic when it is young, lush and growing rapidly", but it is not dangerous to humans. Wangaratta resident Jason Perna described to ABC News how he woke to find six meters of tumbleweed outside his home.

Victorian residents battle an invasion of hairy panic grass piling up to roof height. @Kate_Jones7 reports. https://t.co/hqVUGmtgUs

— 7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) February 17, 2016

"It makes it difficult to get the car out in the morning - if you can find it," he said.

In a bid to find some silver lining to the tumbleweed takeover, some residents are considering harvesting the hairy panic grass for scarecrows.

The online reaction to the grass invasion has been a mix of shock and amusement. - RT.

FIRE IN THE SKY: Daytime Meteor Fireball Blazes Over Melbourne, Australia!

File illustration.

February 26, 2015 - MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - Lucky skywatchers who spotted a rare daylight meteor streaking across the Victorian sky might never see one again in their lifetime, said one astronomer.

Reports of the burst of flame across the blue sky started flooding through on social media at about 10.30am on Wednesday, with one describing it as a "fireball asteroid".

Astronomical Society of Victoria spokesman Perry Vlahos said he had heard reports of the sighting across the state, from Mildura to Wangaratta to Melbourne.

"It appears to have come in from the western sky burning with a bright orange colour and leaving a white trail behind it," he said.

Mr Vlahos said the soaring fireball was probably a space rock that has been pulled in by the Earth's gravity and burned up in the atmosphere.

The flaming rock did not hit the ground, he said, meaning it was a meteor as opposed to a meteorite.

Spotting a daylight meteor is considered to be quite rare, due to the energy required to light up the sky when competing with the sun.

The main difference with night-time meteors, known widely as shooting stars, is the size. Mr Vlahos said a meteor visible at night could be as small as a grain of sand or an apple pip.

"For something to be seen during daylight hours, it's got to be a little bit larger than that. I'm suggesting it might be about the size of a walnut, up to the size of a cricket ball."

Mr Vlahos said this meant the skywatchers looking up at the right time on Wednesday were very lucky.

"It is very rare that they saw it. I would say those that did wouldn't see another one in their lifetime," he said.  - The Age.