Typhoon10 wrote:Around this time of year, what track do systems usually take? I believe at this time its normally western towards Philippines rather than circling up towards Taiwan?
Supposedly, storms take up a northwesterly track toward Northern Luzon or Taiwan. This can be attributed to the southwesterly surface windflow present at these months. However, presence of high pressure areas, or subtropical ridge, can affect its track, let's say if a HPA is located north of a system, then the storm takes on a westward track (assuming that the storm formed in the Pacific).
Regarding this system, a TCFA from JTWC is now up.

WTPN21 PGTW 110600
MSGID/GENADMIN/NAVMARFCSTCEN PEARL HARBOR HI/JTWC//
SUBJ/TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION ALERT//
RMKS/
1. FORMATION OF A SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL CYCLONE IS POSSIBLE WITHIN
160 NM EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM 12.9N 134.2E TO 14.8N 127.0E
WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. AVAILABLE DATA DOES NOT JUSTIFY
ISSUANCE OF NUMBERED TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNINGS AT THIS TIME.
WINDS IN THE AREA ARE ESTIMATED TO BE 17 TO 22 KNOTS. METSAT IM-
AGERY AT 110532Z INDICATES THAT A CIRCULATION CENTER IS LOCATED
NEAR 13.2N 133.6E. THE SYSTEM IS MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AT 14
KNOTS.
2. REMARKS: THE AREA OF CONVECTION PREVIOUSLY LOCATED NEAR 12.2N
135.6E IS NOW LOCATED NEAR 13.2N 133.6E, APPROXIMATELY 350 NM NORTH
OF PALAU. RECENT ANIMATED MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY AND A
110156Z TRMM MICROWAVE IMAGE SHOW IMPROVED CONSOLIDATION AND
MULTIPLE CONVECTIVE BANDS FLOWING INTO THE LOW LEVEL CIRCULATION
CENTER (LLCC). THE 110054Z ASCAT PASS ALSO REVEALS 20-KNOT WINDS ON
THE EASTERN HALF OF THE FORMING LLCC. UPPER LEVEL ANALYSIS INDICATES
THE SYSTEM IS IN AN AREA OF LOW VERTICAL WIND SHEAR AND CONTINUES TO
HAVE STRONG POLEWARD OUTFLOW INTO A WESTWARD-PUSHING TROPICAL UPPER
TROPOSPHERIC TROUGH (TUTT) CELL. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS ARE
ESTIMATED AT 17 TO 22 KNOTS. MINIMUM SEA LEVEL PRESSURE IS ESTIMATED
TO BE NEAR 1007 MB. THE POTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A
SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL CYCLONE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS IS GOOD.
3. THIS ALERT WILL BE REISSUED, UPGRADED TO WARNING OR CANCELLED BY
120600Z.//
NNNN

(current image as of 5pm today, Manila time)
I checked on JMA's weather maps as of today, and I was a bit surprised that they expected this sytem to track further westwards rather than going more of a northward track.

(48 hour forecast chart)