JOHANNESBURG, June 24 (Reuters) - The South African rand

weakened in early trade on Wednesday, pressured by a firmer

dollar and hawkish signals from the U.S. Federal Reserve that

dampened appetite for riskier assets.

* At 0715 GMT, the rand traded at 16.60 against the dollar

, about 0.3% down from its previous close.

* The dollar index, which measures the U.S. dollar

against a basket of currencies, climbed to its strongest in 13

months as investors positioned for possible Federal Reserve

increases to U.S. interest rates and sought shelter from a

selloff in technology shares.

* "Geopolitical risks are on the back burner for now, with

markets reverting to economic fundamentals as drivers for the

dollar," said Andre Cilliers, currency strategist at

TreasuryONE.

* Like other risk-sensitive currencies, the rand often takes

cues from global drivers.

* On the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the Top-40 index

was up 0.1% in early trade.

* South Africa's benchmark 2035 government bond

was weaker in early deals, with the yield up 2.5 basis points at

8.36%.