Experiments with a circular cylinder in an incompressible, two‐dimensional flow show the influence of the unsteady wake on the flow field and heat transfer near the forward stagnation point. Velocity fluctuations, correlations between velocity fluctuations, fluctuation spectra, and the heat transfer near the forward stagnation point were measured and the influence of the wake determined. The wake induces rmsu′ velocity fluctuations near the forward stagnation point just outside the boundary layer of about 12%. Theu′ fluctuations on opposite sides of the stagnation point have a correlation coefficient of − 1. Energy spectra of the fluctuations show a peak energy density at the cylinder Strouhal frequency. Imposed free‐stream turbulence of 6% intensity increases the fluctuations slightly but reduces the correlations significantly. The wake‐induced velocity fluctuations do not influence the mean heat transfer near the forward stagnation point.