The North Atlantic Drift, also known as the Gulf Stream Extension, is a powerful, warm water current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows northeastward across the Atlantic Ocean towards Europe. However, as this warm current reaches the waters off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, it begins to cool and split into two branches. One branch continues northeastward as the Irminger Current, which eventually merges with the East Greenland Current and contributes to the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean.
The other branch of the North Atlantic Drift turns southeastward and heads towards the coast of Europe, where it becomes known as the Norwegian Current. The Norwegian Current carries cold, Arctic water along the western coastline of Norway, and eventually merges with the North Sea, where it further cools before reaching the waters off the coast of France.
The combination of the cold, Arctic water transported by the North Atlantic Drift and the cooling effect of the North Sea results in the relatively cold temperatures of the waters off the coast of France, despite being located in a temperate region.
