A hand vacuum cleaner comprises a cyclone and a dirt chamber external to the cyclone. The cyclone comprises a dirt outlet in communication with the dirt chamber, a cyclone chamber rear end that is axially spaced from and opposed to a cyclone chamber front end and a sidewall located between the cyclone chamber front end and the cyclone chamber rear end. The cyclone air inlet and the cyclone air outlet are located at the cyclone chamber rear end wherein, when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, the central longitudinally extending axis is oriented generally horizontally. A plate is positioned at the front end of the cyclone chamber. The dirt outlet comprises a gap that is provided at the cyclone chamber front end and the gap is provided at a location that is spaced axially inwardly towards the cyclone chamber rear end.