Thermal gas mass flow meter contains two platinum resistance temperature sensors. The thermal principle operates by monitoring the cooling effect of a gas stream as it passes over a heated sensor. Gas flowing through the sensing section passes over two sensors one of which is used conventionally as a temperature sensor, whilst the other is used as a heater. The temperature sensor monitors the actual process values whilst the heater is maintained at a constant differential temperature above this by varying the power consumed by the sensor. The greater the gas velocity, the greater the cooling effect and power required to maintain the differential temperature. The measured heater power is therefore a measure of the gas mass flow rate.