Why is temperature generally higher near the Equator?

Correct answer: Sun rays fall more directly

The direct answer is D: the Sun’s rays fall more directly near the Equator. The Equator receives sunlight at a relatively high angle during much of the year. Step by step: more direct rays spread their energy over a smaller surface area; the same energy is therefore more concentrated; the surface and nearby air receive more heating, so average temperature is generally higher. Option D is correct. Option A is false: equatorial regions can receive heavy rainfall, so rainfall never occurring is incorrect. Option B is false: winds can blow near the Equator, even though the wind pattern there is influenced by pressure and global circulation. Option C is false: seas are present near and across equatorial regions; absence of sea is not the cause. “Generally” matters because local altitude, clouds, land and water can modify temperature. Memory cue: direct rays concentrate heat; slanting rays spread it out.