Over the course of just 24 hours several communities in Australia have fled their homes as bushfires threaten their properties, only to return home to flood warnings. These local disasters come as extreme heat sweeps the globe. In the words of one climate scientist, average global temperatures in September were ‘absolutely gobsmackingly bananas’. Gabrielle Jackson speaks to Guardian Australia editor-in-chief Lenore Taylor and head of newsroom Mike Ticher about why we need to act now to stop global heating