Science Common Sense

255 - Why are deserts hot and dry?

Deserts are hot and dry because of the way the Earth's weather works.

  1. Low rainfall: Deserts are far from the big oceans, where most of the rain comes from. The rain clouds can't reach them, so it hardly rains there.

  2. High sun: Deserts are near the equator, where the sun shines strongly. This makes the sand and rocks get very hot during the day.

  3. Dry air: The hot sand and rocks make the air dry and hot too. This dry air can't hold much water, so the desert stays dry.

All these things together make deserts hot and dry places.

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