eli5: why does it get so cold in the desert at night.

Question

Let’s take the Sahara for example, it’s a lot closer to the equator, yet at night temperatures fall to -4c (25f). Yet in the uk which is a lot further away from the equator, the night temperatures are around 15c (60f) during the summer. Why is this?

In: 97

Answer 1

The sky is extremely cold. At night, clouds act as a blanket, keeping heat in. When there are no clouds, the temperature falls quickly.