Norway is raining earthworms

It may sound crazy, but it's true: Earthworms have been raining over southern Norway this week.

Karstein Erstad, a Norwegian biology teacher, told The Local that he was skiing on Sunday when he saw "thousands of earthworms" on top of the snow. They were still alive, so he knew they hadn't come up from the ground.

Soon after Erstad reported the phenomenon, others in southern Norway said they had seen falling earthworms. Sweden also saw earthworm rainfall in the 1920s, though the phenomenon is rare. It's especially odd that the earthworm rain is taking place during the spring, scientists noted, as it is more common in the fall.

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Scientists told Norway's NRK that flying earthworms are seen after mild winters. Christer Erseus, a professor at Gothenburg University, told NRK that the earthworms are likely being taken up from vegetation-heavy ground and carried through the wind. When it starts raining, the earthworms come down along with the water droplets.

If you're planning a trip to Norway, you might want to pack an umbrella — no one wants falling earthworms photobombing their selfies.