Transient heat transfer and thermal patterns around a rotating spherical particle with surface blowing are studied numerically for Reynolds numbers in the range 10 less than or equal to Re less than or equal to 300 and non-dimensional angular velocities up to Omega = 1. This range of Reynolds number includes three distinct wake regimes: steady and axisymmetrical, steady but non-symmetrical, and unsteady with vortex shedding. The Navier-Stokes and energy equations for an incompressible viscous flow are solved numerically by a finite-volume method in a three-dimensional and time-accurate manner. The transient aspects of the thermal wakes associated with the aforementioned wake regimes have been explored. An interesting feature associated with particle rotation and surface blowing is that they can affect the near wake structure in such a way that an unsteady three-dimensional flow with vortex shedding develops at lower Reynolds numbers as compared to flow over a solid sphere in the absence of these effects, and thus, the temperature distributions around the particle are significantly affected. Despite the fact that particle rotation brings about major changes locally, the surface-averaged heat transfer rates are not influenced appreciably even at high rotational speeds; consequently, it is shown that the total heat transfer rates associated with rotating spheres with surface blowing can be calculated from heat transfer correlations developed for flow over evaporating droplets. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.