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How do prevailing westerly winds spread the Gulf Stream's warmth over Europe?

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Map of the North Atlantic Ocean showing major ocean currents, with warm currents like the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift highlighted in pink and cold currents in blue. Arrows indicate current directions and relative speeds, connecting the eastern coasts of North America, the western coasts of Europe and Africa, and the Arctic region. — Gulf Stream Major warm and cold currents of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Prevailing westerly winds help moderate the climate of northwestern Europe by transporting warm, maritime air masses across the Atlantic Ocean toward the continent. These winds, which are generated by the interaction between low-pressure systems near Iceland and high-pressure areas around the Azores, act as a delivery mechanism for the heat and moisture associated with the Gulf Stream and its extension, the North Atlantic Current.123

While the Gulf Stream itself is a critical oceanic feature that transports heat poleward, it is the interplay between this warm water and the prevailing westerlies that allows that warmth to be effectively distributed over Europe. The westerlies pick up heat and moisture from the ocean surface, carrying these mild conditions inland and preventing the region from experiencing the much cooler temperatures that would otherwise be expected at such high latitudes.132

It is important to note that while wind-driven circulation plays a significant role in this process, the overall mildness of northwestern Europe's winter climate is also heavily influenced by thermohaline circulation, which involves the large-scale overturning of ocean waters.4