The effect of a single gust impulse on free stream flow and forced convection heat transfer across a two dimensional steadily rotating circular cylinder is numerically investigated. Reynolds number is varied between 80 and 160 while the non-dimensional steady rotation rate is restricted to a maximum value of 5 for a fluid with constant Prandtl number of 7. The governing equations namely continuity, momentum and energy equations have been solved using the Constant Wall Temperature boundary condition. Interesting results are presented depicting the behavior of the stretched boundary layer and the temperature field around the rotating cylinder. The convective heat transfer is observed to evolve differently for different combinations of the aforementioned parameters under the influence of the upstream gust. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.