美國氣候?qū)W家杰克（丹尼唐書?奎德 Dennis Quaid 飾）認(rèn)為，溫室效應(yīng)正在引發(fā)地球大災(zāi)難，北極冰川的融化，會讓球回到冰河世紀(jì)那樣的劫旄山。他提醒并沒有引起美國當(dāng)局的重視一切都已經(jīng)太晚：颶風(fēng)、冰雹、水、冰山融化、極度嚴(yán)寒，一系的地球巨變引發(fā)了一場不尚書挽救災(zāi)難。美國政府組織北緯30度的民眾轉(zhuǎn)移到赤道周圍，場面一片亂。更糟糕的是，杰克的兒子，困在曼哈頓的圖書館里，申子燒書火來維持體溫。大家怎樣才能逃這場滅頂?shù)臑?zāi)禍？冰天雪地的地何時才能回暖?
Laurie, a divorced policewoman,is on a train with her mother Jen,going to hospital for Jen,who has borderline Alzheimer's,to be assessed when the train grinds to a halt. A young Muslim woman has jumped from a bridge under its wheels. With Pat,the driver,traumatised,Laurie and conductor Danny take charge until the Railway Police arrive. Danny gives Jen and Laurie a lift to the hospital,where Jen fits and is admitted overnight. Here Laurie learns from social worker Colly and foster father Nick that a baby has been abandoned in a toilet and found by cleaner Didi,who swears to protect it and after whose brother Michael the baby is named. As Danny and his Muslim wife Nuss discuss adoption Laurie believes that the baby and the suicide are connected. Mal Craig, the Railway Police inspector, tells her that the corpse is that of a youth and not a woman.
