The east coast of the United States is affected mainly by the Gulf Stream current, which brings warm water from the tropics into higher latitudes. The warm current flows north along the coast towards Maine, before veering northeast out toward England.
It affects weather in the U.S., too. By bringing so much warm water along the mid-Atlantic and southeastern states, it adds some warmth to the eastern coast of the U.S. The Gulf Stream also affects the paths of hurricanes, and their strength they intensify as they draw up the heat from the warm water.
