Why is the desert so hot?
For grown-ups: the science
Deserts are often hot because strong sunshine warms their dry, open ground.
Many major hot deserts lie near 20–30 degrees north and south latitude, where sinking dry air limits cloud formation and rainfall. Clear skies allow strong solar heating by day, while dry air and sparse vegetation contribute to large day-night temperature changes. Not all deserts are hot; deserts are defined by low precipitation, and some are cold.
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Transcript
The desert has bright sand and a big open sky. Why does it get so hot there?
Many deserts sit where the Sun shines strongly for much of the year. Its light warms the sand and rocks.
Desert air is often very dry, with few clouds to block sunlight. So more sunshine reaches the ground.
Sand and rocks heat up quickly in daytime. At night, they can cool quickly too, so deserts are not always hot.
So deserts are hot because strong sunshine reaches dry, open ground. But desert nights can feel quite cool!