Transient heat transfer and mass flow rate are evaluated with constant and variable properties in cavities.
Transient evolution of the flow is strongly affected when the heating intensity is high enough.
The behavior of the relevant parameters becomes non monotonous for high values of Rayleigh.
For high values of Rayleigh and the heating intensity, the isotherms detach to the heated wall, imitating waves.
Rough correlations for the steady-state time, for Nusselt number and mass flow rate, as a function of Rayleigh.