TO OUR READERS

An expanded Metro section will appear in The Times starting Monday. The section will provide more local news from communities throughout Los Angeles County, as well as new, specialized features.

The highlights:

- Each Monday, Page 2 and Page 3 will be devoted to science and medicine. The coverage will include news articles, profiles, features, columns, explanatory articles, a column of brief items, occasional puzzles and informational graphics.

- Page 2 will become a digest page Tuesday through Saturday, with brief news items from around the county. The page will feature a new column, “Only in L.A.,” spotlighting local people and events. Also appearing on Page 2 will be photographs of special interest.

- Page 3 will become a full news page Tuesday through Saturday. Each Tuesday, the page will include Postscript, a weekly feature updating readers on what has happened to a news subject or event. From time to time, the page will carry a column entitled “My Beat,” a special look at Los Angeles, written by staff reporters.

- Weather. A redesigned weather page will appear, with new maps highlighting local temperature forecasts, displaying national weather patterns and forecasting northern hemispheric air pressure systems. The changes answer requests from many readers for more technical weather information. At the same time, readers who merely want to know temperature and precipitation forecasts can easily find that information. The satellite weather photo will be retained.

- Death Notices will move to Part I of The Times. News obituaries will appear on the same page as Death Notices.