China battered by ‘rain of worms’ as residents asked to carry umbrellas

Chinese citizens have to use umbrellas to shield themselves from falling creatures. Photo / Twitter

Residents from the Chinese province of Liaoning rushed to find shelter after it looked like it was raining worms.

A viral clip shows the area being pelted with what was claimed to be little worms which splattered all over cars and the surrounding roads.

Residents were seen using umbrellas to take cover as they attempted to continue with their daily routines.

Thousands of “worms” were seen covering cars and piled up in the gutters.

While the cause of the slimy creature calamity has yet to be uncovered, the scientific journal Mother Nature Network suggested that the animals were dropped after being swept up by heavy winds.

The strange phenomenon has stumped the internet. Photo / Twitter

It has previously been reported that this type of occurrence has been witnessed before, and can happen after insects are caught up in a whirlpool and dumped during storms.

In 2015, several hundred earthworms rained down on the mountains in Norway. It was thought they were lifted from the ground by up-currents of wind, possibly a tornado.

They were then deposited on top of ice many miles away from their original resting place. The worms may, meteorologists say, have been in the upper atmosphere - almost space worms.

However, another theory suggests the worms in China were actually poplar flowers - which is a tulip tree whose blossoms resemble worms.

Viewers were stunned by the city’s current problem, with one person stating: “These are not worms or animals, but flower stalks dropped from trees.”

“Strange phenomena,” a user added, with another weighing in, “If I was just minding my business on a casual day in China and it started raining worms? I’d just die.”

AP7am claims the objects that were seen falling from the skies were not worms, but rather inflorescences of poplar trees.

This phenomenon is not uncommon during the spring season when the poplar trees start to bloom. The flower spikes fall from the trees and are often mistaken for worms or caterpillars by people who are not familiar with this phenomenon.

In December 2022, a similar event went down when it was believed that iguanas could rain down from trees in Florida due to colder temperatures.

“They slow down or become immobile when it’s below 40F (4.4C),” WFTV meteorologist Brian Shields posted on Twitter last winter.

“They may fall from trees, but they aren’t dead.”

The incident is reportedly not uncommon when colder weather hits the state. When temperatures drop, the reptiles become stiff and tumble to the ground.