A warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico, flows through the Straits of Florida and up the eastern coastline of the United States, then veers east, moving toward Northwest Europe. The Gulf Stream influences the climate of the coastal areas of the East Coast of the United States from Florida to southeast Virginia, and to a greater degree, the climate of Northwest Europe. A consensus exists that the climate of Northwest Europe is warmer than other areas of similar latitude at least partially because of the strong North Atlantic Current.