The sunshine came out as Celtic hoisted the league championship flag and on current evidence it is difficult to envisage the grey skies spoiling Brendan Rodgers’ party.

It was as comfortable as it gets for Celtic with an emphatic 4-1 win over a disjointed Hearts side, with the Tynecastle side the architects of their own downfall with some hapless defending.

Not that that should detract from a rampant Celtic side who have picked up where they left off.

There were two goals from Leigh Griffiths before the striker was put into storage with an eye on the Astana tie, while Scott Sinclair and the impressive Callum McGregor also chipped in.

Stuart Armstrong was left on the bench, perhaps in part more to his inept form of late rather than any contractual issues, while Oliver Ntcham was brought back into the middle of the park. Nir Bitton remained at centre-half and had a hand in the opening goal with a deft pass that sent Griffiths through.

The striker seemed to have allowed the chance to pass with his first touch but recovered to beat Jack Hamilton, who really ought to have done better.

From there on in Celtic controlled the tempo of the game, pinning Hearts back as they went for the jugular. Scott Brown was the first player into the book after a foul on Arnaud Djoum, closely followed by Kyle Lafferty who grappled for the ball with Mikael Lustig just after Celtic had taken the lead.

There was an inevitability about further goals. Brown, Griffiths and McGregor linked well as the opening half came to a close with McGregor firing just over, but the second half started in the same tone.

Griffiths’ corner was slid in at the back post by Scott Sinclair although Aaron Hughes will have nightmares about his ineffectual clearance as the ball fell to his feet.

Not that Celtic stopped there. A finely executed pass from Brown to McGregor who sent a deft chip into the box allowed Griffiths to claim his second and Celtic’s third with a fine diving header.

Jonny Hayes arrived shortly after as Griffiths made way. The only fit striker at the club, it made sense for Rodgers to give Griffiths a breather with one eye on the looming play-off tie against Astana next week.

In any case, by the time Griffiths was given a seat on the bench his afternoon’s work was done.

Celtic's wasn't.

McGregor netted a super fourth when he enjoyed the fruits of an intelligent Sinclair run. The Englishman slipped the ball into McGregor's path and the midfielder hammered his effort into the net.

Isma Goncalves put a blot on the afternoon with a goal that was of little more than a statistical footnote just six minutes from time, a goal that Craig Gordon will feel he ought to have coped much better with.

CELTIC: Gordon; Lustig, Bitton, Simunovic, Tierney; Forrest, McGregor (Rogic 75), Brown, Ntcham (Armstrong 86), Sinclair; Griffiths (Hayes 67). Subs: de Vries, Ajer, Ralston, Kouassi.

HEARTS: Hamilton; Brandon, Hughes, Berra, Grzelak (Goncalves 69); Smith, Cowie, Bauben (Randall 62), Djoun, Moore; Lafferty (Sammon 71). Subs: Noring, Souttar, Randall, Nowak, Martin.