This paper presents 2D thermal model of a fuel cell to elucidate some of the issues and important parameters with respect to temperature distributions in PEM fuel cells. A short review on various properties affecting the temperature profile and the heat production in the polymer electrolyte fuel cell is included. At an average current density of 1 A cm(-2), it is found that the maximum temperature of the MEA is elevated by between 4.5 and 15K compared to the polarisation plate temperature. The smallest deviation corresponds to one dimensional transport, while the largest corresponds to the two dimensional transport considering anisotropic thermal conductivity. The two dimensional thermal model further predicts increased lost work. While most of the heat generation is allocated in the cathode, it is shown that the heat effect may be balanced by the water phase change in the anode. The most significant factor in determining the temperature distribution is the gas channel geometry (width and channel type), followed by the thermal conductivity of the porous transport layer and state of the water in the cell. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.