(Reuters) – The timing of U.S. interest rate hikes are uncertain and the Federal Reserve must watch that the surprising recent weakness in the U.S. economy does not foreshadow a more substantial slowdown, an influential Fed official said on Monday.

New York Fed President William Dudley said the weak March jobs report released last Friday, as well as softer than expected manufacturing and retail sales in recent months, likely reflected “temporary factors to a significant degree,” including the harsh winter in much of the United States.  Read more