A young woman has been sexually and physically assaulted after being dragged off a busy Melbourne street and into a vacant house in broad daylight.

Investigators say the 21-year-old woman was walking west along the southside of the Burwood Highway at about 10am (AEDT) on Thursday when she was approached from behind by a man and dragged into the front yard of an unoccupied house.

The woman was then sexually and physically assaulted inside the house.

Police say the attacker is described as Asian and aged between 30-40 years.

Detectives are appealing to anyone in the vicinity of Burwood Highway and Station Street, Burwood Thursday between 10.15am and 10.30am that may have seen a man matching this description to come forward.