The Sahara can reach sub-zero temperatures from December to February due to lack of humidity. It holds the record for the highest recorded temperature, but it was disqualified. The desert is prone to hurricane-level winds and torrential downpours. It is larger than the continental US, comprises a quarter of Africa, and is mostly gravel.
The Sahara is not always hot. The North African desert can reach sub-zero temperatures from December to February due to the desert’s lack of humidity. Desert sand dunes also accumulate snow, similar to a mountain top. Freezing temperatures are not the norm, as the Sahara is typically one of the hottest places on Earth. It holds the record for the highest recorded temperature at 136 degrees Fahrenheit (57.78 degrees Celsius) in 1922, in Azizia, Libya. However, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) disqualified this claim in 2012 as incorrect. In addition to the frigid temperatures, the Sahara is prone to hurricane-level wind speeds that can cause dust storms. While the desert receives only half an inch (1.27 cm) to 4 inches (10 cm) of rain annually, it often occurs as torrential downpours.
Read more about the Sahara desert:
The Sahara Desert is larger than the continental United States and accounts for about 8% of the entire land area.
Gravel accounts for most of the Saharan landscape: sand is only 30%.
The Sahara comprises a quarter of the entire African continent and its name in Arabic means “Great Desert”.
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