Coastal Areas

Some plants thrive where it's hot, as well as in coastal areas. Two such plants are the pineapple guava and the strawberry tree. The pineapple guava gives grayish-green foliage, exotic white and purple flowers beside lush, edible fruit. On the coast, they bear richer, tangy fruit than those further inland, But this shrub will thrive just as well there.

A fast-moving storm system is expected to dump up to 4 inches of rain in Ventura County's mountain areas Monday before giving way to clear skies Tuesday afternoon. Clouds are expected to move over the county tonight, yielding an estimated 80% chance of rain Monday, said Bill Hoffer, a National Weather Service meteorologist. An estimated quarter- to half-inch of rain could fall Monday in coastal areas, with 2 inches possible in the foothills and 4 inches in the mountains, Hoffer said.

Heavy surf pounded Florida's Atlantic coast, causing beach erosion in some areas. Winds blew at more than 25 mph along some coastal areas, causing high tides to peak at about 2 feet above normal, National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Kosier said. A heavy surf advisory was in effect, Kosier said. Waves lapped at seaside homes and businesses in some areas near Fort Lauderdale and washed out thousands of pounds of sand, officials said.

Heavy thundershowers from the remains of tropical depression Terry boiled up out of Baja California into San Diego and Imperial counties early Thursday and moved into the southern desert later in the day. Outriders of the storm covered coastal areas with thick clouds, but rainfall amounts were meager. High temperature at Los Angeles Civic Center was 76 degrees. It should be a few degrees warmer along the coast and a little cooler in the mountains, with a 30% chance of showers today.

Cool breezes have made the past few days more bearable and weather forecasters are predicting that the current conditions will continue through the weekend. The large, upper-level high pressure system that has resulted in temperatures in the upper-80s in the inland areas will prevail for several more days, said meteorologist Steve Burback with WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times.

Fog that prevented planes from landing at Lindbergh Field and forced lost boaters to drop anchor is expected to shroud coastal areas nightly through mid-week, according to the National Weather Service. Moist marine air moved inland to cut visibility just after sunset Sunday, forecasters said. More fog was predicted to roll in just before dark today and Wednesday, and cling through Thursday morning.

After 12 years of planning, the San Diego City Council on Tuesday approved regulations for development in the city's coastal areas. Over mild objections from property owners affected by the ordinances, the council unanimously approved plans for the city's coastal communities--from the Tijuana River estuary to the San Dieguito River valley. About 60 residents from Del Mar and other San Dieguito areas supported inclusion of the San Dieguito River mouth in the coastal zone ordinances.

Polar ice sheets are melting faster than authorities realize and could eventually submerge coastal communities worldwide, according to two studies released today. Researchers from the University of Arizona and the National Center for Atmospheric Research noted that sea levels rose 20 feet during a warming period 129,000 years ago and said the waters could rise just as high sometime after 2100 if global temperatures continue to climb.