News Earth Sahara to get hotter, drier, smaller By Sid Perkins August 21, 2001 at 12:32 pm - More than 2 years ago Share this:Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to print (Opens in new window) Print By the end of this century, the world’s hottest desert will be even hotter. The Sahara will also be smaller and drier than it is now, according to an international team of climate modelers. The Sahara stretches the full width of northern Africa and now covers an area the size of the United States.