The effect of cylinder inclination on thermal buoyancy induced flows and internal natural convective heat transfer is explored using CFD simulations. The cylinder's top and bottom surfaces were maintained at different temperatures while the curved surface was adiabatic. The aspect ratio (length/diameter) of the cylinder was unity and the Prandtl number of the fluid was fixed at 0.71. The Rayleigh number of the confined fluid was varied from 103 to 3.1 × 104 by changing the specified end wall temperatures. The critical Rayleigh number was estimated to be 3800 for the vertical cylinder. Relaxing the convergence criterion caused false hysteresis in the converged results for the vertical cylinder. Typical natural convective fluid flow and temperature patterns obtained under laminar flow conditions are illustrated for various inclinations ranging from 0° to 180°. Flow visualization studies revealed complex three-dimensional patterns. Different thermal-hydrodynamic regimes were identified and were classified in terms of Rayleigh number and angle of inclination. Empirical correlations for the Nusselt number and maximum velocities in the domain as a function of the inclination angle and Rayleigh number are developed. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.