'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABeAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwYQAAEDBAIDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAIDBAUAAQYREhMUFTFhAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEBREBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAIUH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AJxkZEZBlbGIYRzeKbeuCVVun2LKKEtfj1czLYjb8rbu8f8AFdroAslwSVMB23D4N9UpRLpm0OahC1Aqqr7v/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Residents of Liaoning province of China were asked to carry umbrellas on the street as it rained worms in a bizarre phenomenon on Thursday, March 9, 2023.
A viral clip showing an area littered with worms while a person with a red umbrella is seen walking away has gone viral. The footage shows cars with what looks like hundreds of tiny slimy animals.
While the cause of the incident is yet to be discovered, the scientific journal Mother Nature Networks proposes that they were dropped after being swept up by heavy winds. They added that this phenomenon sometimes occurs specifically after a storm when insects are caught in a whirlwind.
Another popular theory going around the internet is that these are the droppings from a tulip tree's poplar flowers whose blossoms resemble the creatures when fallen.
Others claim that this was just a prank being played online as they looked contained within a small area in the video.
"This is my personal nightmare": Internet users react to the rain of worms
Netizens were left shocked and horrified at the news and took to social media to share their reactions. While some wondered how the phenomenon took place while putting forth their "conspiracy theories," other users joked that the "Matrix is Broken." Some even asked everyone to make the most of the situation and collect the worms that could be used as bait during fishing season.
Twitterati had some hilarious reactions and sarcastic quips about these squirmy creatures allegedly raining. One user @nol_mcc, jokingly commented:
"Somebody clicked the wrong button on the weather manipulator 6000."
Other netizens claimed in jest that this meant the end of times and the apocalypse was soon to come.
This is not the first instance of weird rains
A similar odd event took place in December 2022, when iguanas "rained down" from trees in Florida following a particularly cold bout where temperatures plummeted below zero in some areas.
According to WFTV meteorologist Brian Shields, the cold-blooded lizards become immobile below 40 F and fall off the trees. However, he cautioned that they were not dead.
Shields also added that these reptiles have sharp teeth and claws and advised residents not to try and warm them up.
Authorities are yet to confirm the exact cause of the 'worm rain' in China.
