The cockney was sick and the weather was wintry (6)
I believe the answer is:
hailed
But I can't explain it at all! Could you help me understand?
(Other definitions for hailed that I've seen before include "acknowledged" , "Greeted like old Romans did Caesar" , "Greeted or sginalled to" , "Greeted (with ice pellets?)" , "Greeted like ancient Romans" .)