Rapid urbanization and industrialization in developing cities intensify urban heat islands (UHI), negatively impacting people’s socio-economic activities and livelihoods. This research investigates the trend of heat waves and perceptions of UHI in Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC), Bangladesh. Thirty years (1992–2022) temperature, humidity, and rainfall data were analyzed to estimate heat wave trends, and satellite images of 1998 and 2023 were used to compute LST and UHI calculation. In addition, questionnaire data (QD) was collected from 300 household heads and determined through simple random samplings. Data was analyzed with Minitab-17 and ArcGIS-10.4 software to estimate heat waves, and QD was analyzed with SPSS to determine impacts of UHI. The result shows that UHI changed in the last 25 years of range, and the heat wave trend has significantly increased its duration and intensity in RCC (Yt = 48.81 + 1.391*t). The future trend of heat wave days will increase to 100 days in the next decade. Precipitation decreased significantly and shifted from July to September. UHI in RCC is influenced by the reduction in vegetation and water bodies and the increase in urban sprawl. Respondents claimed that urban expansion is the main catalyst for creating UHI and reported adverse health issues, including heat stroke, dehydration, tiredness, etc. are raised due to excessive heat in the summer season. These findings will help policymakers to prepare sustainable urban planning and climate change adaptation strategies, such as the preservation of open water sources and enhancing urban vegetation. The study recommends awareness buildup through media coverage to reduce UHI impacts.