The effect of a wind shield on the convective heat flux from an ambient air stream blowing over a horizontal surface intended for nocturnal radiative cooling has been studied by computational fluid dynamical calculations and by wind tunnel experiments under conditions appropriate for the climate of Thailand. The test unit was a rectangular plate 312 mm x 250 mm, with vertical metal strips for the wind shield having heights up to 100 mm along the edges of the plate. It was found that a wind shield of height 25 mm slightly increased the convective heat transfer due to increased turbulence over the surface, but wind shields of height 50 mm and 100 mm reduced the convection due to a separation of the main airflow from the surface. Radiative cooling was reduced by the wind shields. The net cooling of the surface was best with no wind shield at wind velocities less than about 1 ms(-1), and with the wind shield of height 100 mm at wind velocities greater than about 2 ms(-1). (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.