More than 11million Brits are now under a hosepipe ban as the drought risk continues to grow during what could be the country's longest heatwave on record.Five water companies have imposed usage restrictions in recent days affecting customers across southern and eastern England as strain on supplies intensifies.The latest is Affinity Water, which has 3.9million customers and confirmed today that it would introduce a ban for its central region from July 17 - covering Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey and parts of London.People in those areas will not be able to use hosepipes for watering their garden, washing cars, outdoor areas or windows or filling up swimming or paddling pools.Anglian Water, Cambridge Water, South East Water and Southern Water have already announced bans as temperature records have tumbled, with highs of 36C today.Thames Water, with 16million customers, and Yorkshire Water, with 5.7million, are both urging people to stop using hosepipes - although neither has imposed a ban.The UK is stuck in its third heatwave of the year with scorching conditions leading to early harvests as well as wider impacts on health, energy, wildfire risks and transport.Officials fear the risk of drought conditions is rising and have been keeping a close watch on East Anglia, Devon and Cornwall, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.Water minister Emma Hardy met with bosses last week to discuss their preparedness for a hot summer as water firms scramble to manage increasingly tight resources.Meanwhile another record tumbled yesterday when the UK had its eighth day at or above 34C in a calendar year, breaking the previous high of seven days set in the summers of 1976 and 2020. A ninth day of 34C-plus heat is expected today.The Met Office also confirmed today that 2026 is the first time that temperatures of 35C or higher have been recorded in May, June and July of the same year.