CANBERRA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Catastrophic fire danger ratings have been issued for eight South Australian districts on Wednesday, with temperatures expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius and strong winds forecast around much of the state.

    The eight catastrophic districts are: mid-north, Flinders, Yorke Peninsula, upper south-east, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Eastern Eyre Peninsula, Murraylands, West Coast.

    Severe or extreme fire danger ratings apply in the state's seven other districts of Riverland, north-west Pastoral, Mount Lofty Ranges, Kangaroo Island, lower south-east, Adelaide metropolitan and north-east pastoral.

    A helicopter and 55 police patrols have been deployed across South Australia as part of police efforts to curb arson on high fire danger days.

    South Australia had its first catastrophic fire warnings for this summer in mid-November, but Country Fire Service (CFS) chief officer Euan Ferguson said conditions forecast for Wednesday are closer to those South Australia experienced on Black Saturday.

    "The difference in South Australia today, we're looking at sustained very strong, very hot, very dry winds for the whole day," he said.