Residents of the city of Liaoning, in the Chinese province of Liaoning, reportedly received instructions to seek cover after seeing an unusual phenomenon in which worm-like animals or objects began to fall from the sky.

What appeared to be earthworms were observed on cars and on the streets of Liaoning in a viral video clip. In an effort to protect themselves from the “worm rain,” many were seen carrying umbrellas while walking through the streets.

The most plausible explanation for the episode is that they were picked up by strong winds and then scattered over the city. This occurs, according to the journal when insects are sucked into a whirlpool during a storm.

Other people hypothesized that the slimy-appearing objects were poplar flowers, a tulip tree whose blooms resemble earthworms rather than worms.

Twitter users conversed that while it may not have happened in this instance, it is still feasible for a “worm rain” to truly occur.

Earthworms occasionally fall from the sky during rain, a phenomenon known as “earthworm rain,” but it is not unheard of. This typically happens when particular weather conditions exist, such as strong winds that lift the earthworms and carry them into the clouds, where they can be carried great distances before coming back to the ground with the rain, one user noted.