Downpours triggered landslides that killed at least 10 people in Kenya early Friday. Rains hampered rescue and recovery efforts for missing people Saturday.

The worst-hit area was the Marakwet District in western Kenya.

April and May are the wettest months for most locations across Kenya. There is a secondary rainy season that occurs during October and November, but rain totals are slightly lower than during the April-May rainy season.

Rainfall Thursday into Friday morning was estimated at 2-4 inches. The highest rainfall total in the country was measured at Meru, where 3.74 inches fell in 24 hours.

The terrain in this area is mountainous, so any heavy rainfall has the possibility of causing landslides. The area had already received ample rainfall so far this season, so the mountainous terrain was likely saturated.

Rainfall across Kenya has been much above normal in recent months. Naku, Kenya, had more than four times its normal rainfall during the month of March, and their rainfall for April was nearly double the average.

After another month of heavy rains across Kenya, the faucet typically gets shut off. Six inches of rain normally falls during the month of May, followed by less than an inch in June, July and August.

El Nino usually brings heavier-than-normal rainfall to Kenya. The El Nino is weakening, but could still be to blame.

Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Forecaster Dave Samuhel