<P> The Gulf Stream is influential on the climate of the Florida peninsula . The portion off the Florida coast, referred to as the Florida current, maintains an average water temperature at or above 24 ° C (75 ° F) during the winter . East winds moving over this warm water move warm air from over the Gulf Stream inland, helping to keep temperatures milder across the state than elsewhere across the Southeast during the winter . Also, the Gulf Stream's proximity to Nantucket, Massachusetts adds to its biodiversity, as it is the northern limit for southern varieties of plant life, and the southern limit for northern plant species, Nantucket being warmer during winter than the mainland . </P> <P> The North Atlantic Current of the Gulf Stream, along with similar warm air currents, helps keep Ireland and the western coast of Great Britain a couple of degrees warmer than the east . However, the difference is most dramatic in the western coastal islands of Scotland . A noticeable effect of the Gulf Stream and the strong westerly winds (driven by the warm water of the Gulf Stream) on Europe occurs along the Norwegian coast . Northern parts of Norway lie close to the Arctic zone, most of which is covered with ice and snow in winter . However, almost all of Norway's coast remains free of ice and snow throughout the year . Weather systems warmed by the Gulf Stream drift into Northern Europe, also warming the climate behind the Scandinavian mountains . </P> <P> The warm water and temperature contrast along the edge of the Gulf Stream often increase the intensity of cyclones, tropical or otherwise . Tropical cyclone generation normally requires water temperatures in excess of 26.5 ° C (79.7 ° F). Tropical cyclone formation is common over the Gulf Stream, especially in the month of July . Storms travel westward through the Caribbean and then either move in a northward direction and curve toward the eastern coast of the United States or stay on a north - westward track and enter the Gulf of Mexico . Such storms have the potential to create strong winds and extensive damage to the United States' Southeast Coastal Areas . </P> <P> Strong extratropical cyclones have been shown to deepen significantly along a shallow frontal zone, forced by the Gulf Stream itself during the cold season . Subtropical cyclones also tend to generate near the Gulf Stream. 75 percent of such systems documented between 1951 and 2000 formed near this warm water current, with two annual peaks of activity occurring during the months of May and October . Cyclones within the ocean form under the Gulf Stream, extending as deep as 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) beneath the ocean's surface . </P>

What is one effect of the gulf stream